My AllSpark
by Bama8714
Summary: Ava Roberts has never known a normal life, and she probably never will. With a giant robot for a dad and a highly desired energy source keeping her alive, she gave up on normal a long time ago. Now she's launched into a battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, trying to save her planet and her spark at the same time. Will she discover love along the way? Possible OP X OC
1. A Lonely Spark

Well, here goes. I'm new at this whole fanfiction thing, so wish me luck! Hope you like the story :) AND I WOULD LOVE ANY AND ALL REVIEWS, even flaming ones

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I don't own Transformers. If I did, I'd be making all this stuff in my head a reality on the TV screen... for the better or for the worse. But really, I own nothing except for my OC (Ava Roberts) and any other new, random faces you might pick out.

**Warnings:** Rated T for human/Cybertronian swearing, future fluffiness, some romance later on (i'm up for suggestions). There's also some darker themes here, (sorta, partial rape too) so beware...

This takes place in the TFP universe, but with a little twist. That's right, I stuck Ironhide in there. HA! Oh, and I'm going to go ahead and apologize for any OOCness. And I guess this story is a little heavy? Or really heavy? I dunno. ANYWAYS, let's get on with the story, shall we?

* * *

"Look, there goes the freak," Zoe whispered to her friends with a snicker as I passed her on the way to my locker. Unfortunately, mine was only two down from hers. The mere two-locker-difference helped make my life a literal living hell.

I quickly opened my locker and began to grab the books and papers I needed, skillfully tuning out their rude remarks thanks to years of practice. Besides, the last time I listened to them I got into a fight and ended up with suspension for the third time this school year… and it was only autumn. Mom and Dad made me promise to stay out of trouble for the rest of the year. In all honesty, I've been finding it quite difficult.

My hands fisted when I realized my science paper was nowhere to be seen. I spent all week on that paper, diligently researching and finding the information that I was sure would give me the grade I needed to pass the class. I knew for a fact that I put it in my locker this morning, right on top of my history homework, and that it didn't disappear on its own. And I knew exactly who the culprit was. Furious, I slammed the locker door shut with just enough force to make the girls jump and squeal. I turned on them, my eyes burning and energy building. I know that I have an anger problem—I always have—but these girls as well as plenty of others seem to love to see just how far they can push me. Trust me… they really don't want to see me snap.

"Give me my paper now and no one gets hurt," I said coolly, my eyes burning holes through Zoe's. I smiled slowly, making sure to give her a flash of my white teeth. "I know you took it, Zoe."

She lifted her chin stubbornly, unwisely denying the fear so clearly shown in her eyes as her loyal friends fled the scene, terrified. Smart girls. "Give me my boyfriend first and I might consider."

I dug my sharp nails into my palm, astonished and pissed off by her stupidity. "I already told you… I didn't steal him from you. Don't you know? The boy's afraid of me, just like all the others are. I have nothing to do with why he left you. He left you because you're an obnoxious, jealous glitch who doesn't give a crap about anyone but herself."

"Oh really? Then I guess you can have your stupid paper back," she reached into her messenger bag and threw me an empty, used water bottle. Inside lie the torn remains of my science paper.

I wasn't able to hold it in any longer. It's a miracle I kept from attacking her as long as I had. Now, though, she was seriously going to get it. I ran and jumped on her and she screamed, not having enough time to get away from me. Even though the bell had already rung, people were sticking by and crowding in around us, hoping to see a fight. I just sat there on top of Zoe as she screamed and flailed desperately, and struggled to calm myself down. I knew that if I didn't, I'd kill her. Plus, I promised Mom and Dad I'd be a good girl.

"Get off me!" she pulled hard on my long hair and raked her nails across my arm, drawing blue energon instead of the red blood she was expecting. Her eyes wide in horror, she screamed again. I hissed in her face, my own eyes beginning to glow. No one touches my hair.

Not long after the start our not-really-fight; a teacher came by to break it up. Luckily, the only thing I gave her was a minor bloody nose, and that was more on an accident than anything, but it was still enough to get her a boy to escort her to the nurse. The wound on my arm was already healing, thanks to my spark, and with gritted teeth I allowed myself to be dragged to the principal's office for the… what? Millionth time? I've lost count.

I sat there mutely in the principal's office with my arms crossed until Mom arrived. I already knew I was getting suspended for attacking another student, and I was dreading to see the inevitable disappointment in my parents' eyes when they found out. The last thing I've ever wanted to do is disappoint them. It seems like I've been doing a lot of that lately.

Mom walked into the principal's office, took one look at me, and sighed. "Ava Wren Roberts… what did you do this time?"

"Your daughter attacked a student," Mr. Caldwell explained with a sour expression, though his eyes were glued to Mom's bulging tummy. Mom was pregnant, due any time now, and yeah… she was huge. She's said it probably has something to do with carrying a half-human baby, since she claimed that I made her nearly as large, and that her size was extremely abnormal due to clinical standards. It took some time convincing the doctor that there was nothing wrong with her.

I tossed her the water bottle. "Look at that! That used to be my science paper. I worked hard on that, and now because of Zoe I'm going to fail the class!"

"So she's the one who failed to do your homework?" she challenged me.

I lowered my eyes guiltily. Okay, so maybe a big part of the reason I'm failing would be that I never do my homework. I have a good reason for it, though. "I was busy training with Dad," I mumbled.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing that excuse, Ava," she turned to Mr. Caldwell. "We will punish her accordingly, I assure you. Would you reconsider suspension if she gives the student a heartfelt apology and serves her time in detention?"

I sent her a quick glare. Detention's fine and dandy, but there's no freaking way I'm apologizing to her.

The principal leafed through the papers on his desk and glanced at Mom with a shrug. "I'm sorry, Miss Roberts, but I have no other choice but to give her a week of suspension. When she gets back to school she will give Miss Anderson a formal, written and verbal apology to both her and her parents. I cannot promise that they will not press charges."

"She just has a bloody nose!" I exclaimed. "It's not like I broke it or something. Besides, it was an accident!"

"It would be best if you learned to control your daughter," Mr. Caldwell told Mom matter-of-factly, and she flushed in embarrassment. My own cheeks turning a shade of bright blue, I got up and followed Mom out of the office.

I hesitated in front of the big black truck parked in the parking lot, not looking forward to going inside. Mom was already in the driver's seat, waiting for me impatiently. She could be scary sometimes, sure, but compared to Dad… she was nothing.

Biting my lip, I considered driving home by myself, but before I could put that plan into motion, the door swung wide open and Dad's infuriated voice came booming from the speakers: "Get. In. The truck. Now!"

I reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat and told him what happened on the way home. Let's just say he wasn't a happy mech.

"You attacked a helpless human girl over a science paper?!" he demanded, nearly shouting at me. He would've been screaming at me if Mom wasn't pregnant.

"She provoked me! And she wasn't helpless; those nails slagging hurt… for a few seconds," I glanced at my unmarked arm with a satisfied smirk. Living off the AllSpark certainly has its advantages.

Mom reached over across the console and took my hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "Ava, you have to learn to control your emotions. You have to find a safe, healthy outlet for them."

"My outlet is my training sessions with Dad," I argued with her, though inwardly I frowned. Lately, I don't think they've helped the way they should.

"If these sessions are supposed to help you, then why have you been getting into more and more fights each year?"

I shrugged and went quiet.

Dad's engine revved a bit as we turned onto the busy highway. "If she needs more training time to get her emotions out, then I'd be happy to oblige. I've been fighting off Decepticons closer and closer to the house. If they find her out, she needs to know how to protect herself."

Mom shifted uncomfortably in her seat and folded her hands on top of her belly nervously, clearly not thrilled with being reminded of the looming threat. Personally, I've been trying to figure out what I should do about it myself. I know I need to protect the AllSpark that's inside of me, but I don't want to endanger my family like I've been doing either. Where I go, the Decepticons follow. I just… I can't lose them. They're all I've got. Hell, I don't even have one friend to name.

"Ironhide, you know how I feel about putting Ava in a situation like that. She's just a young girl, and she shouldn't have to fight to protect herself," Mom said, bringing up a topic they've recently being arguing about for some time.

"We're at war, Jenny. You think I want my own sparkling to be caught up in this mess? Sometimes, you gotta what you gotta do."

Mom leaned her head back against the seat wearily. She looked tired, and I had a feeling it wasn't from her job at the pharmacy, nor even the baby. "We'll finish this at home."

Little did she know that I've in fact been training with some real Decepticons. They weren't that strong and Dad was with me the whole time, but I've been learning how to adequately defend myself. The Decepticons really are getting closer and closer to the house, and if worse comes to worse, I want to be able to help Dad fight them off. If Mom found out about what we've been doing, she'd freak. But it's like what Dad always says: "What Jenny doesn't know won't hurt her. Now shut your trap and fire your gun up that slagger's aft before he gets away." That's one of the things I don't like about my field training with Dad. We have to offline every single Decepticon we come across, because if we don't, they'll fly or drive back to their nest to tell Megatron that the AllSpark is on Earth… and we can't ever let that happen. It would be catastrophic.

I love fighting and all, but something inside me breaks every time I see the light sink from their violet or crimson optics. I know they're evil and they kill humans for fun and they're all the other things that Dad's told me, but I've never seen them kill or attempt to harm a human being with my own eyes, and I think that until I do, I will remain feeling like a murderer. A… a killer. Still, it definitely won't stop me from beating the frag out of them if they get too close to me or my family. I can deal with petty, conflicting emotions; I've been dealing with them my whole life.

We soon arrived home—home: which translates to a big, abandoned warehouse in the middle of the woods, far away from prying eyes. Mom moved here after getting together with Dad, and for obvious reasons. I liked it here. We had our privacy, we had the woods, and there was more than enough room for all of us to be here together. It even had enough space to store all of Dad's precious weapons, which was an astounding feat in itself.

Later, after receiving a severe talking-to from Mom and Dad, I found myself lying wide awake on my bed, staring restlessly at the thick metal ceiling stretched above my head. I didn't have the time to release some of the pent-up energy like I needed to, and I was paying for it right now. My spark has felt… strange lately. I can feel it swelling inside me, the energy threatening to bust out at the seams. What'll happen when it does? I haven't explained to my parents in detail about the extent of the problem, but I already know it has to have something to do with the AllSpark. I'd be damned if I didn't know taking in the AllSpark as my own spark would bring complications. I just wish there was some way for me to calm it down a bit.

Suddenly, I heard worried voices and tuned in my audial sensors so I could hear better. It was coming from the lower level of the warehouse, where Mom and Dad usually were.

"You said yourself that the Decepticons don't seem to be backing off anytime soon. In fact, the threat may be increasing," I heard Mom stressing. "Ironhide… you know I have faith in you to protect us, but I fear this is getting too big for us alone to handle. We need help. Where are those Autobots you keep telling us about?"

Dad sounded frustrated, but as usual, he tried to keep his attitude in check for Mom. "I don't know where they are. Honestly, I don't even know if they're on Earth. I suspect they're here, since the Decepticons haven't destroyed this planet yet, but I have no way of contacting them."

"Fine. If they can't help us, then what about the government?"

"We're not getting them involved in this! They'd treat Ava like some sort of slagging science experiment. No sparkling of mine will be subjected to that."

Mom spoke softly then, sounding miserable and defeated. I hadn't heard her sound like that in a long, long time. It made my spark ache. "One of these days, Ironhide, there'll be too many Decepticons for you to fight off. They're going to find us here, they're going to kill us all and take the AllSpark, and there'll be nothing we can do about it."

I turned off my audial sensors, blinked back my tears, and smashed my pillow against my face. Mom's right. We're all going to die and it's my fault. I… I can't let that happen. I'm not a little girl anymore; I can't leave it to Dad to do everything for me. It's not fair, and it's not right. I've been a burden for far too long. And now, I have a sibling to worry about. I don't want my brother to have to deal with Decepticons because of me. I won't let that in happen.

My mind now made-up, I put on some comfortable clothes and wrote a reassuring note to them, explaining that I was leaving to put them out of harm's way. I reassured Mom in the note that I'd been training hard with Dad and that he'd shown me how to defend myself properly. I promised Dad I'd protect the AllSpark and that I would never let Megatron get his servos on it. I didn't tell them where I would run to—I didn't even know that myself—but I did write that I would try to look for the Autobots. From the stories Dad told me about them, I knew they'd help. Even though Ironhide was the one picked on Cybertron to take the AllSpark somewhere safe and protect it, all the other Autobots had also taken a vow to protect it as well. Maybe they could help me, if by some crazy miracle I manage to find them.

I folded up the note and placed it on Mom's pillow. Then I crept down to the lower level of the warehouse to where Dad was recharging and stealthily stole my favorite weapon there. It was a small gun but a perfect size for me, and it was very powerful and could easily fit in my alt mode. I wrote an apology for taking it on a sticky note and stuck it on Dad's windshield. I was actually being serious with that apology note; Dad adored his guns. I grabbed the supply of my energon pills from the cabinet and stuffed it into my jacket pocket. Finally, I stepped out into the cool night, transformed to my alt mode, and sped down the street.

**_3 Years Later_**

"Get… the frag… off of me!" I yelled as I viciously threw the three Decepticons off my frame. Dazed and confused, they barely had time to look up before I promptly blew all three of their helms clean off.

Now here came the messy part. I absolutely despised cleanup duty, but I know that it's a necessity. I can still vividly remember what happened that one time I fought a group of Decepticons on the freeway. I barely made it out of there before the police and the government arrived in their big vehicles and airplanes. Never again will I fight in a public place—not unless I have to. It's one of the reasons why I try to stay away from cities or other populated areas. The Decepticons are going to find me no matter where I am, so I might as well be out in the forest or a desert somewhere. Though, I have to say: getting rid of giant robot bodies is a lot harder to do in a Nevada desert than it is in a forest. I'm not comfortable with the meager amount of hiding places, either. After I stock up on supplies from the town my GPS says is about ten miles from here, I'm getting the hell out of this place. Maybe I'll go find a nice cave somewhere and camp there for a while.

"It's nothing personal," I told the Decepticon drones, "but I can't let you go flying back to Megatron to tell him about me. Then he'd send lots of bots, maybe even his officers or something, and I can't have that. You guys understand, right?"

I often find myself talking to the Decepticons after I kill them. I guess it's a coping mechanism for me, since I haven't really said more than two words to someone in three years. As usual, the drones remained silent as I tugged on the rope that tied the three of them together, dragging them through clouds of dirt. I stopped when we reached the base of a jagged mountain, and with a sigh I shoved them into the crevices there. To any passerby they'd look like hunks of metal. It was… sad.

I swiftly transformed and drove off across the desert, eventually making my way back to the road. According to my GPS, I was on my way to a town called Jasper. There, I planned to stop by a grocery store and buy some canned foods, water, and socks with the money I had from races and little jobs here and there. I've never needed as much human food and water as a normal person would—in fact I don't need it at all if I have adequate amounts of energon—but I've been running low on energon pills lately. Even though I don't need a lot of energon to create the synthetic version, I still have to take the time to look for it. Lately, I haven't been able to find the time for it.

I soon entered the small town and found a grocery store. I pulled up behind it, out of sight, and transformed from a car to my human self. I stored my big gun behind the dumpster before heading on inside. Like always, I'd have to make my purchases quickly. I couldn't have the Decepticons attack me in the middle of a grocery store.

I grabbed some canned veggies and tuna, as well as a new pair of socks and I was about to take a large jug of water when I saw two specific people walking down the aisle that made my actions screech to a halt. Is that… oh shit.

I ditched the water jug and tried to make a run for it, but it was too late. Aunt June saw me and she froze. Well, both of us froze. I bit my lip hard and attempted to feign ignorance, like I didn't know her.

"Ava, is that you?" she asked. Her teenage son Jack, who was pushing the buggy beside her, squinted at me in disbelief. He looks… what, sixteen? Certainly not the twelve-year-old boy I remember.

I looked around nonchalantly and shrugged. "Ava? I-I don't know who the heck you're talking about, lady…"

She marched over and grabbed my arm before I could blink twice. "It is you! You had me worried sick! Where have you been all this time? I'm sure you called your mother…" she trailed off, spotting the expression on my face. "You're coming home with me this instant and I'm calling your mother."

I growled and protested as she dragged me away. I could've easily gotten free, but I didn't want to hurt her. "Listen, Aunt June, I'm twenty-one years old. I'm an adult now. Besides, my Mom knows where I am and everything's cool," I resisted the urge to wince at that last part. I hated lying, especially to family.

Jack scratched his head, almost looking as embarrassed as I was. "Come on, Mom, listen to her. You never gave her a chance to explain."

Thankfully, Aunt June let go of my arm. "Alright. So why didn't Jenny tell me about this?"

I shrugged in a noncommittal gesture. "She's been busy lately, with my brother and the job and everything."

She nodded carefully, though I could tell she still held some suspicion. "That makes sense. She rarely contacts me anymore. Okay, Ava, what brings you to Jasper?"

"Just stopping through."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

I lied and told her I did. Unfortunately, that didn't sway her from persuading me to come to dinner. I didn't have time to get my groceries and I ended up waving goodbye in the parking lot. I proceeded to the back of the building, mumbling under my breath. Stupid, stupid. I knew Mom's sister lived in Nevada; I just didn't know where. It's just my luck that I happened to stumble across the small town that she did. Aunt June and Mom had been close, but after she met Dad and had me she was forced to distance herself. I saw them on occasion, and I always had fun playing with my cousin Jack. He didn't seem to care that I was weird, though most of the other little kids at my school were the same way. It wasn't until I was older that I became truly alone.

Since I was stuck staying here in Jasper till tonight, I had to drive around the town all day. I kept myself distanced from the people, so that if a Decepticon attack did come it would be away from them. It was pretty boring, just driving around across the sand. Bored senseless and with nothing else to do, I drove and climbed up a short ways up a mountain to get to the top. I dug my nails into the dirt, getting leverage as I pulled myself up. It was beautiful up here: overlooking miles and miles of untamed earth. However, I wasn't alone. Well… not exactly.

I brushed the dirt off my leather jacket and jeans with a groan. "Ugh, what I would do for a shower. And I mean a real shower, not a cheap carwash; I still have nightmares," I shivered at that thought and headed over to the big blue and red semi with flames across its sides. It sat proudly there, shining in the sun on the top of the mountain, rather ridiculous actually. "How the hell did you get up here?"

I shook my head hard. It's one thing when I talk to myself or offlined Decepticons, but it's a whole other thing entirely when I go talking to inanimate vehicles. Then again… maybe it's not such a bad idea? I guess that, in a way, it's more reassuring than talking to myself. I shuffled over to the big truck and opened the door, only relaxing when I found empty. Glancing around for its owner one last time and seeing no one in sight, I flopped down on the ground in the semi's shadow. That's nice.

"Thanks for the shade," I gave the semi a thumbs up, but then I frowned and hugged my waist. I took a deep breath. "Okay, so… what if you had to protect something that was like, really, really important? You would do anything to make sure it doesn't get in the wrong hands, right? Even if that means pushing away those closest to you?" I raked a hand through my hair, exasperated. "I left my family three years ago… to protect them. Was it wrong of me to leave, since it was technically Dad's to protect in the first place? Though, I guess that since it's in my body those rights would be transferred to me. Right? They don't know where I am or if I'm even okay. And me? I don't even know my own brother's name. I haven't had a real conversation in three years with any living organism until today, when I just so happened to be spotted by my aunt in the grocery store. She's having me over for dinner! What if the Decepticons find me and destroy the place?! What if she calls my parents? Dad will…" I trailed off.

There, in the sky, was a small silver jet. It registered in my scanners as a Decepticon, but… it didn't look like a drone. I jumped to my feet, curious yet frightened right down to my very spark. What if that's one of Megatron's officers? Can I really fight a high-ranking Decepticon? Well, holy crap, it looks like I'm going to find out.


	2. It's a Miracle

I was about to transform and prepare myself for attack when the big truck beside me beat me to it. I choked back a scream as the vehicle transformed from a semi to a giant robot. He stood in front of me with his guns raised and pointed to the sky. The Decepticon in the sky transformed and landed in front of us. His optics were colored red and his frame was silver, looking nothing like the Decepticons I've fought before. I stayed behind the big blue and red bot, deciding that it was the wisest option.

"What do you want, Starscream?" demanded the bot in front of me. His voice was deep and it had a nice timbre to it.

"I'd like to know why every time I send a team to investigate this energy signature, they never return!" the silver bot screeched in a whine. "Is it because of you? What are you hiding?!"

I was hid comfortably behind the red and blue mech, so I had a feeling that Starscream wasn't able to see me. I guess he thought the energy signature he was picking up on was this bot, and not the human hiding behind him. In all fairness, it did make the most sense.

"I suggest that you leave," the red and blue one said, raising his gun to Starscream's helm. I took that as my chance to slip away and sneak down the mountain. The red and blue bot wasn't registering as a Decepticon, but I know that there are a few bots who belong to neither faction and yet are still very dangerous. I didn't want to stumble into one of those. I barely got away from the last one I encountered… stupid metal spider-bot.

I had made it to the bottom when I heard and saw the jet speed away. At least I don't have to worry about that Starscream character anymore. Now if I could get away before—

"Wait," came a voice from the top of the mountain, and I watched dejectedly as the semi drove down towards me. Sure, this bot hasn't tried to kill me so far, but I know from experience that it doesn't mean you can just let your guard down. In my world, you can't really trust anyone.

I stepped back warily, debating my options as the truck came to a stop beside me. Maybe this mech can't sense my energy signature? Maybe he doesn't know I have the AllSpark. That'd be great; I'd like to keep it that way. This bot probably thinks I'm another, random human. Fantastic.

"I am afraid that you are now in danger," the mech rumbled. "You have seen us, and for some reason the Decepticon was able to locate you. I am noticing an unusual reading coming from you, unlike the other humans. I heard you mention the Decepticons earlier… do you already know about them? Are you… part of the government?"

I folded my arms across my chest and smirked. "Thanks for the help back there, but I'm not telling you anything. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll be on my way," I turned heel and started walking off into the sun.

The semi followed. "I cannot allow you to leave if I believe your life is in danger… which I do," he persisted. "And judging by your physical and verbal reactions, it seems as though you are unfazed with what has occurred. What do you know of the Decepticons?"

"Leave me alone."

"You're in danger."

"Wow, I didn't know that!" I nearly screamed. I whirled around and angrily pointed a finger at the vehicle. "I've been taking care of myself for three years straight; I'm pretty sure I can do it for a while longer. And what do you care if I'm in danger? I'm just a human! In fact, you should've killed me already! What are you doing—toying with me? You can't trick me. You just want what you know I have all to yourself! You stupid, slagging Decepti—" my words broke off cold when my eyes landed on a small, red symbol decorating on the truck's engine compartment.

I blinked once, twice. I know that symbol, and it's not the Decepticons'. I've seen it on Dad before, and he said that it marked him as an Autobot. Is this an Autobot? No way… can't be. I struggled to control my breathing, but I failed miserably as it faltered and everything went dark.

"Ava! Wake up…" a voice and some shaking woke me up.

My eyes popped open and I leapt to my feet, my gun out and aimed. But then, I slowly started to _really _wake up, and found myself staring at a shocked and frightened Aunt June. Wincing, I lowered the gun and hooked it back onto my belt.

"Sorry. Force of habit," I looked around the large area, my eyes widening. I spotted the red and blue bot along with five others, all of them watching me. I gulped. "Are you guys… the Autobots?" I took their silence as confirmation. "Ha! I knew it! I knew you made it to Earth!"

The orange and white one threw his servos up. "Who told her?"

Everyone turned to look at the young Japanese girl with pigtails, who glared back at them. "It wasn't me! Uh… for once."

I clasped my hands together, not being able to believe that I _fainted_. I've never fainted before! To put it simply: it was flat-out embarrassing.

I squirmed under the attention I was getting and relented, "Fine. My Dad told me about you guys. He tried to communicate with you when he got to Earth, but he couldn't pick up on anything. He thought none of you made it here, and I was starting to think the same… until now."

Aunt June stared at me in shock. "What do you mean—your father? Jenny said that she left him a long time ago, soon after you were born…?"

I scratched my head and let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, um… she didn't tell you the truth because we've been trying to keep the whole thing secret. My Dad isn't human," I let out a short breath and proceeded to tell them the whole story.

By the end of it, all I truthfully got was silence. None of them seemed to believe me. I caught looks of confusion, awe, and even disgust. They don't believe me? They think I'm lying?

"You want proof? Here it is then," I stepped back away from Aunt June and Jack and transformed into the robot version of myself. I ignored the shrieks and curses that accompanied my transformation, and waiting calmly until they had quieted down. I silently dared anyone to deny me now. They didn't.

Later, after I was shown around the base, I paced back and forth behind the couch, trying to figure out what I should tell my parents, if anything at all. Well, I think I should at least let them know I'm alive. And Dad needs to know that the Autobots are on Earth. He should know that he's not as alone as he thinks.

"Here you go," Aunt June handed me her cellphone with an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

I shakily began to dial Mom's number. I remembered what Ratchet and a few of the others told me. They needed Ironhide to fight the war with them; they wanted me to call him up here. But I didn't really want to. I mean… he's my Dad. I don't want him in any danger. It's part of the reason why I left them three years ago. Besides, he has to protect Mom and my brother. If I call him down here, he'll inevitably drag them into this whole thing. Can I let that happen?

"June?" Mom's voice came from the other end, her tone weary and incredulous. Damn it, it looks like I already dialed.

I swallowed hard and tried to pretend that everyone _wasn't _listening in. "Hey, Mom."

"… _Ava_? Ava, sweetheart, where on Earth are you?! Are you okay? Where—"

Her voice was drowned out by a much stronger, fiercer, louder one. Dad cut into the phone line! I shrieked and dropped the phone as his voice came booming out of Aunt June's tiny cell.

"Ava Wren Roberts, where have you been for the past _three years_?! What the fragging hell were you thinking! Are you safe?"

Ratchet called Optimus Prime over to the monitor, and the other bots crowded in. "I'm picking up on Ironhide's energy signature from a town in California. And… it's moving."

Dad must be tracking the cell phone signal right now. Well, there goes my wish for keeping them out of it. Biting my lip, I carefully picked the phone back up. "I'm fine. The AllSpark's fine. Dad… I found the Autobots. They're here in Nevada, and they're going to help."

Dad tried to argue with me, but he stopped when Ratchet was able to make a comm link between them. Relieved that I didn't have to deal with Dad right then, I dropped down on the couch beside Miko and decided to rest my eyes for a little while. Dang, I was tired. I haven't had a good, restful sleep since I lived with my parents. I was always afraid that some Decepticon would come and take me while I was sleeping. And believe me: it wasn't a silly, irrational fear. So, I learned to be a light sleeper. It'll be nice to get real sleep for once.

Since it was getting late, Bumblebee and Bulkhead took Rafael and Miko home for the night. Aunt June had already left the base earlier, resigned to the fact that it was too dangerous for me to have dinner with them. She was obviously right, but it didn't mean I wasn't disappointed about missing the dinner. It's weird to think how much I miss home cooked meals. Jack left with Arcee, and soon I found myself stretched out on the couch by myself, idly watching TV. Dad was coming, but he had to drive all the way from southern California, so it was going to take a while… a few days, at least. I was so nervous about seeing them again. The butterflies in my stomach were having a slagging _circus_.

"So you're sure they won't be able to pick up on my energy signature from here?" I queried worriedly.

Smokescreen nodded optimistically and crouched down beside the couch. "Yeah. Well, if they look over the base directly, I guess there could be a chance they'd pick up on it. But staying here in this military base should be the safest option for you."

I nodded, and then glanced at him questionably. "Dad never said anything about you. Are you new here or something?"

He nodded back. "I got on the team a couple of weeks ago. You're going to like it here, trust me."

I smiled, let out a yawn, and snuggled a little into the soft cushions. "It's looking great already."

"Ava Roberts?" Optimus Prime's voice came from the air above me.

I pushed myself up to a sitting position and craned my head back so I could see him better. "Ava's fine."

"Right. Would you like to come with me to your quarters? Or do you need… dinner first?"

My eyes crinkled in the corners as I smiled at him. "I'll go, and I don't need any dinner, thanks," I jumped up off the couch and transformed into a bot, making a few helms turn in the process. Yeah, I bet it's going to take a while for everyone to get used to that. I could've just slept on the couch—and happily, if I might add—but I was curious about my 'quarters'. Do they have robot-sized rooms or something? That'd be pretty cool. It's time to investigate.

Turns out, it _was_ a robot-sized room. There was a metal bed there that Dad had called a berth, and I curiously went over to it. He said it was comfy but I never believed him, for obvious reasons. How could sleeping on a metal table be comfortable?

I'd just realized that the berth wasn't as bad as I thought when I saw Optimus Prime leaving. I panicked and blurted out, "I'm sorry!"

He went to face me, confusion etched into his features. "What are you sorry for?"

I drummed my digits against the metal uneasily. "Earlier, I yelled at you and misjudged you when all you wanted to do was help. I'm sorry."

He gave me a queer look. "You have nothing to apologize about. You didn't know who I was. Goodnight, Ava," he left.

I went to sleep that night on the berth, after taking my synthetic energon pills. It was weird to think that this time yesterday; I was trying and failing to get a bit of recharge on the side of a lone road. Now, I'm safely tucked away in the Autobot base with my family on the way. It's… it's insane. No. Actually, it's a miracle.

I woke up around eight-thirty that morning, judging by my internal clock. It felt incredible to get some real sleep for once. I rolled off the berth and tiredly stretched out my limbs and gears, waiting for my processor to start functioning normally again. When it did, I headed out to the main part of the base to find the whole team there. Great, I overslept. Bumblebee and Bulkhead were fighting each other for training, Smokescreen and Arcee were arguing over something, and Optimus Prime and Ratchet were at the screens and monitors. It was Monday, so the kids were probably at school.

"Over here," Ratchet ordered me from the med bay. I reluctantly dragged my pedes over and hopped up on the berth. He pulled out a small thing that beeped and moved it up and down over my metal plating. "I'd like to know how the human and Cybertronian DNA meld together so easily, but we'll leave that alone for now. Now, you claim to have the AllSpark within you. _That _is impossible—no matter how high the energy levels coming from you might be—but I want to check your spark nonetheless. Who knows how damaged it could be, suffering within your human frame?"

Stubbornly, I folded my arms across my chassis and lifted my optics to meet his glowing blue scrutiny. "I'm not opening my spark chamber. Last time I did that, I almost burned the whole warehouse down. You don't have to worry about checking my spark. It's perfectly fine."

He shook his helm doubtfully. "I'm going to have to check it. Everyone's had to do it, and you are no exception. Now open up."

"No."

Suddenly, a silver servo was placed on Ratchet's broad shoulder. Ratchet turned around to face Optimus, who informed him: "If she does not wish to show you her spark, she doesn't have to do so today. As she's gotten on fine for as long as she has with her spark the way it is, I believe she will be able to survive for a time longer."

Ratchet scoffed and mumbled something under his breath before moving on. I smiled gratefully to Optimus and leapt off the berth. I took out my pills and popped them in my mouth, just in time for Ratchet to see. His optics narrowed and he demanded me to tell him what they were. When I told him… well… he sort of freaked out and made me show him how I made them. I explained that my Dad figured out how to make good, synthetic energon since he had no time to go scouting it for it, and how he he taught me to do the same. I even had this little compact full of pill molds so that I could safely take them at school and in the general public. Of course, when I made the energon into human-sized pills I had to pack a lot more punch into them so they actually did something for me, but I knew how to make synthetic energon the regular way too.

The team was amazed that I was able to make synthetic energon, and they went on and on about how much leverage it would give them in the war. They couldn't believe that Ironhide was able to come up with the formula, and that he taught it to me. I was happy… at least I'm not totally useless. I'm going to skip over the fact that it was Dad who figured it out in the first place.

I went over to Bumblebee and Bulkhead and they amiably let me join in on their training. I could tell they were taking it real easy on me—especially Bulkhead—but after I swiftly proved myself, they fought me a bit more earnestly. It was fun fighting with Bumblebee, since he and I were roughly the same size. We rolled onto the floor, Bumblebee taunting me in beeps and whirrs with Bulkhead cheering us on. Bumblebee was fighting kind of like a boxer does, with his servos fisted and pedes moving around fast. On a whim I rushed forward and shot out my leg, causing Bumblebee to trip up and fall over, toppling into a pissed off Smokescreen and Arcee.

Bulkhead congratulated me with a hearty slap on the shoulder. I had to hold onto him before I fell over like Bumblebee. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked with a big grin.

I cautiously released my grip on the large green mech. "Some of that was my own, but I learned mostly from Dad and karate lessons. _Now _will you fight me?"

Before I could get his answer, Optimus announced that they had decoded the coordinates for another Iacon relic. Everyone crowded around close, and since I didn't want to be left out, I joined them. I was also wondering what the hell an Iacon relic was.

"We have to get there and secure the relic before the Decepticons do," Optimus said. "Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen…"

"Yes!" Smokescreen cheered, running over to the thing Ratchet called the ground bridge even before he had it up. "I won't let you down this time, Optimus."

Bulkhead laughed and sidled up beside him. "Try not being so cocky this time, huh?"

Bumblebee let out a string of beeps that translated to: "We'll do our best to get the relic and bring it back safely."

"Why am I not going?" Arcee questioned pointedly as Ratchet pulled the ground bridge up. I stared in wonder as the three bots transformed and zoomed through the swirling green light.

Optimus gestured to the monitors. "We've nearly decoded another relic. Arcee, I want you to help me secure this one."

Arcee relaxed upon hearing this, her shoulders falling. I've only known her for a brief time, but she seems high-strung to me. She's always harsh and right to the point about things. She is really brave and intelligent, though. I suppose this is what war does to a bot.

"What are Iacon relics?" I wondered quietly. I half expected no one to answer.

I was surprised when Arcee did answer, and quickly. "Iacon relics are from the Iacon Vaults on Cybertron. They've been turning up on Earth, and they're highly powerful. We can't let Megatron get his servos on too many of them."

I glanced at Optimus Prime. "Can I go with you to help?"

"No!" they all said in unison.

My jaw dropped open. "Why not? Do you think I'm not good enough? Let me tell you: I can fight Decepticons, and it makes no sense why you _wouldn't _want a little help. Like you said, the relics are important."

"She is not yet properly trained to go parading off to the Decepticons," Ratchet explained animatedly.

Optimus turned over the decoding to Arcee and gently pulled me over to speak to me more quietly. He was much, much nicer than Ratchet.

"Ava, I do not doubt your fighting abilities. But yesterday, you saw how easily the Decepticons picked up on your energy signature. You've been running from them for three years now. Think about it this way… you might lead them to us and jeopardize the mission. I do not know exactly what is attracting the Decepticons and how, but I do know it's both safest and most logical for you to stay here."

I lowered my helm, spitefully understanding. "Oh all right. Go ahead and leave me with the old, grouchy doctor-bot."

"I may be old, but my audio sensors are more than functional!" Ratchet yelled angrily from his side of the room.

"I've got the coordinates for the relic," Arcee confirmed, and only seconds later a ground bridge appeared. They transformed and were gone in the blink of an optic.

Sorely disappointed that I couldn't be of any help, I snuck over to where Ratchet was watching after them both. His back was turned, helm crooked slightly to the side as he worked. I smirked, crept up, and…

"Boo!" I exclaimed, hoping to scare him.

"It's going to take more than that to scare this old bot," was all he mumbled. He didn't even budge, but I smiled devilishly, accepting it as a challenge.

Eventually, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Smokescreen returned from their mission successful. Optimus and Arcee were still gone, with Ratchet unable to contact them. It sounded like they needed backup. Ratchet sent Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Smokescreen through the portal, and I… _attempted _to go as well. However, Ratchet was having none of it, and he even strapped me down to the berth to make sure I didn't go anywhere while he monitored their progress. I angrily moved about in the restraints. I could've helped!

I had just connected the dots and was slipping out of the restraints easily, as I morphed into a human, when Ratchet got a call from Optimus. He didn't sound too good.

"We were momentarily sidetracked, but the relic is now secure. Requesting a ground bridge."

Ratchet mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and quickly worked with the controls. I transformed back into a bot and stood there worriedly as the bridge opened and the Autobots started to come through.

Bumblebee and Smokescreen came through unharmed, though they had weird looks on their faces. Arcee came limping slightly with a strange thing in her servos I took for the relic. Finally, Optimus Prime arrived, scratched up and heavily supported by Bulkhead. Ratchet stopped fussing over Arcee and ordered Bulkhead to take Optimus over to the berth.

"What the slag happened?" he cried out as he grabbed his medic stuff and rushed over to his commander.

I was horrified. His leg was nearly clean off, and he had dozens of dents and scratches marring his plating. Optimus seemed to be in no mood to speak, so the others filled in for him.

"Turns out the relic Bumblebee, Bulkhead and I took was a decoy," Smokescreen explained. "I knew it was too easy!"

Bumblebee nodded his helm and picked up the small relic from earlier. "See?" he beeped. "It's a fake."

Arcee folded her arms and said bluntly, "They were all there. Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream. Oh, and Bludgeon's back."

"What!" Ratchet yelled as he worked on Optimus. "He didn't perish on Cybertron?! Where has he been all this time?"

They shrugged. I turned my attention to the relic Arcee was holding in her servos and pointed out: "That relic you have there must be really powerful, if they were willing to go to the trouble of planting a decoy for it. Do you have any idea what it is or what it can do?"

Arcee shook her helm, her blue optics flashing. "No, but… whatever it is, I'm glad that we have it and Megatron doesn't. We couldn't risk them acquiring it. Look at what Optimus did to keep that from happening."

I walked over to Optimus worriedly. His optics were offline, but I couldn't tell if he was awake or not as Ratchet worked on his repairs. "Will he be okay?"

"Of course he'll be okay!" he snapped. He must've noticed me flinch, because he added in a softer tone, "It takes a lot to knock a bot down for good, and especially if that bot's a Prime," he cleared his throat, turning his helm toward where Arcee was trying to sneak away. "Get your aft back here so I can fix that leg! And… _Bumblebee_! I _needed _that!"

Bumblebee impishly put down the broken med tool and scooted away. I gave him a sympathetic smile and reluctantly left Optimus to join him.

Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee soon left to pick up the kids from school. Jack, Miko and Raf couldn't believe what'd happened while they were at school. Miko seemed pretty mad and jealous that she'd missed all the action, but she cooled it when she saw the state Optimus was in. Arcee took them aside to explain to them what happened, while I wandered over to where the three mechs were fiddling with the relic. They were trying to make it open, or do something. The relic was a queer-looking thing. It had no particular shape to it, and it was covered in glowing markings that swelled and pulsed every so often. The designs kind of reminded me of the glowing blue designs on my own black plating. I wanted to get closer to the object, but something very primal inside of me was urging me to do the opposite. It nailed my pedes to the floor and I found myself immobile to go any further. I couldn't rationalize why.

Luckily, Bumblebee left the relic when he saw me and happily headed over. I liked the black and yellow mech. He was always happy and energetic and funny too. He was also a good fighter, incredible for a mere scout. I wondered briefly why he was a scout; certainly, based off of what the others have told me about him, he deserves a promotion.

"Who is Bludgeon?" I asked Bumblebee. I didn't want to bother anyone else and he was always eager to answer my questions, no matter how tedious or insane they were. Bumblebee talked in a series of beeps, strange noises and whirrs. Don't ask me how my processor registers that as actual language. I can hear the beeps and the noises he makes, but somehow it comes across as English. Yeah, it's weird. Then again, just about everything in my life is, isn't it?

"Bludgeon is an ancient and highly skilled warrior," Bumblebee started. "He's mastered the ancient art of Metallikato from our planet Cybertron, and he uses that, as well as his ancient blade, to fight against the Autobots. He's… uh, a little like Starscream in some ways. He's not the most loyal bot; he's been known to challenge Megatron at different times. We don't know where he came from or how he got here, but one thing's for certain. If he and Megatron were working together to get that relic, and it coaxed Bludgeon himself out of hiding… well, we know it's something big. Big and definitely powerful."


	3. Captured

Well, here's another chapter! I'd love to hear any suggestions/comments/criticisms you might have. Like all writers, it keeps us going and helps us improve and get on the right track. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

By the time the kids returned home; Ratchet had fixed up Arcee and had Optimus back to almost the same condition he was in before the mission. Relieved that they were okay, the team was able to direct their full attention to the relic now. But for some reason, no one was able to figure out what exactly it was or what it was supposed to do. It wouldn't do _anything_... until Optimus Prime picked it up and miraculously made it work. Of course, there always has to be that someone with the 'magic touch'.

"So what does it do?" Bulkhead wondered.

It was but a second later when the thing started to vibrate before falling to the floor. It made little noises here and there, everyone starting to become alarmed as it picked up in volume. My spark shook once—my only warning for the nightmare that happened next.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have your heart—or spark—tugged from your body? I let out a bloodcurdling scream as that exact feeling ripped through my frame, leaving me breathless. I fell heavily to my knees and desperately wrapped my arms around my chassis, struggling to keep my spark inside me where it belonged. Lubricant pooled in my optics, dripping down my faceplates as the world around me became nothing more than a fuzzy blur. It felt like millions of knives were striking each gear and system in my body, cynically twisting them around to see just what it would take to get me to break. I've experienced a fair amount of pain in my life, but nothing could've prepared me for this.

I don't know how long I stayed like that; I lost track of time. Eventually though, the pain started to cease and I onlined my optics to find myself held firmly in strong, red metal arms. I went slack in the grip, exhausted and merely thankful to be alive.

Everyone around me was clamoring worriedly, but I had a rather difficult time paying attention to them. Everything was blurry and out-of-focus, and my spark felt weird too. It was a good thing somebody was holding me upright; otherwise I think I would've collapsed by now.

I vaguely could make out someone shaking and examining me, and within a few short moments I realized that the bot was Ratchet.

"…hear me?"

I shakily regained my footing, flushing in embarrassment when I realized it was Optimus Prime keeping me up. It was a good thing bots can't visibly blush, because if they could I'd look like a tomatoe threw up on my face.

I refocused my optics and nodded slowly. Then I looked around the room fearfully, frantically checking the area for that blasted relic.

Bumblebee quickly understood and beeped: "Don't worry. We turned it off and Bulkhead took it to where the others are."

I spun to face Optimus, sort of pissed. "What the hell was that? Do all relics do that?"

Instead of answering, he humbly looked to Ratchet. Ratchet shrugged, and Smokescreen spoke up next.

"Why would the relic target Ava like that?" he asked. "What do you think it wanted from her?"

"I'll tell you what it wanted," I angrily jabbed a finger at my spark chamber. "My spark! I swear—it would've ripped it out of my chassis if it wasn't turned off when it was! So, um, thanks for turning it off."

Ratchet didn't seem convinced. "Now why would it want your spark in particular?"

Optimus appeared surprised, his helm tilted to the side thoughtfully. "Ava, you claimed that your spark was the AllSpark. How do you know that for sure?"

It hurt that no one believed me, but I went on and explained anyways. "Mom and Dad told me. You see… soon after I was born, my parents noticed serious problems with my heart and my spark. They took me to the doctor, and though the doctors couldn't say exactly what was wrong with me, they did say that there wasn't a good chance I'd survive, especially with it happening to me at such an early and critical time. They thought I was going to die… I _should've _died.

"That's where the AllSpark comes in," I continued. "It saved me. One night, Mom found that I wouldn't wake up. My pulse was nearly nonexistent, and I was good as dead. Then the AllSpark emerged from its protective casing and into me. At least, that's how they described it. And… I don't just know what's inside me from stories. Once it almost burned the warehouse down, and plus, I can _feel _it inside me. It's like—like a volcano, about to explode," I turned away helplessly, my processor pounding. Just talking about it made me want to…

"Let me check it," Ratchet spoke in a quiet, kind tone. "It is critically important this time that you allow me to make sure everything's all right in there. If you felt the relic pulling on it, and it caused that much pain, you may have been injured severely."

"Ratchet's right," Optimus agreed. "Your spark is your core. If something is wrong with that, it could shut your whole body into stasis… or worse."

I cursed myself for seeing the obvious logic on it. Besides, I doubted I'd be able to get away this time.

"Fine," I relented. "But I don't want everyone watching."

Optimus faced his team. "You may now return to your quarters for recharge."

Arcee, Bulkhead and Smokescreen filed out of the room. Bumblebee was the last to go. His doorwings hung low and he flashed me a concerned look before following the others. He was… concerned? Even Ratchet sounded worried. Do they actually care about me? There's no way. I've never had friends before, or people who cared about me other than my parents. I shouldn't get my hopes up.

"Wait," I called out in alarm, seeing that Optimus was about to leave as well. "Can you stay?"

He walked over obediently. Ratchet said that I could stand up while he looked at my spark, but it may be safest if I'm lying down while he's checking it. It would reduce the chances of something going wrong.

I don't really know why I felt so nervous as I lied down on that metal berth. I should be happy, right? Now they'll believe me. Still, I couldn't push aside the feeling of being terrified. What if the AllSpark is damaged? What if it does what it did last time I opened my spark chamber? Well, I suppose that last time my spark was pounding pretty hard, while this time it feels abnormally weak, but still. You never know.

Ratchet tapped on my chassis. His words were patient but his expression sure wasn't. "Will you open your spark chamber? Are you capable of doing so?"

"Of course I'm capable," I snapped, but then quickly cooled it.

I reluctantly, slowly, opened my chamber. I didn't even have to open it up fully for the brilliant blue light to come streaming out, lighting the whole area and nearly blinding me. I heard gasps as I carefully opened it up further, enjoying the feel of finally giving my spark some air. And it definitely needed it, after what it'd been through with that relic. It felt so damn good to have my spark at last able to breathe a little, that I was completely oblivious to the awed murmurs and gapes that surrounded me. Hmm, I was feeling better already. And I didn't have to blow anything up!

The checkup went smoothly, I could say. Ratchet was dumbfounded and obliged to admit that I was right about harboring the AllSpark. And though he didn't do much poking and prodding, he was able to reassure me that my spark remained pure and functional. Thankful, I let my chamber close and pushed myself up to a sitting position. My pedes hung off the side, scissoring back and forth.

"I don't understand," Ratchet started. "Why would the AllSpark choose to take residence in a living creature?"

Optimus gestured to me loosely. "The AllSpark creates life. It maintains the life force of all living beings. It's only natural for it to latch onto Ava, as her life force was beginning to drain away."

I hopped off the table, tired and ready for recharge. "I'm going to retire to my quarters, if that's okay."

Optimus assured me that it was, so I sleepily bade them goodnight and left to my quarters. I rolled onto my berth in the darkness, pulled my metal knees to my chassis and buried my face in them. Soon I'd see my parents, along with my new baby brother. Will he like me? I wonder what color his eyes are. I just wish he didn't have to go through all this.

I had an uneasy recharge that night. I didn't sleep as late as I did the other day, and I was up right about the time that Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee returned from dropping off the kids. To my surprise, Aunt June was at the base with a man from the government called Agent Fowler. The Autobots filled Agent Fowler in with everything that had so far happened, while Aunt June took me aside to give me some breakfast. It was nice to act human for a change.

"This is the most amazing cheese biscuit I've ever eaten," I praised Aunt Darby as I stuffed it in my mouth hole. I washed it down with the coke she brought—damn, I missed coke. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. Now, I have to get to work, but I'll be back tonight. Jenny says that they should make it here by tomorrow. She's told Caleb all about you, and says he's very excited to finally meet his big sister."

A wide grin split across my face and I nodded stupidly. _Caleb_. Aunt June then had to leave to work, leaving me on the couch watching TV with Bumblebee.

I stretched out lazily and glanced at the yellow bot inquiringly. "Hey, do you know if there are any showers around here? Bot-sized showers would work too."

Bumblebee rose to his pedes and crooked a digit at me, obviously intending me to follow him. I chugged the rest of my coke and followed him down the hall. We stopped when we reached a human-sized door.

"The bathroom and shower should be in there. Last time Miko slept over, she said the water still worked fine. I think there are even little soaps and smelly liquids for you to clean your frame with."

I let out an uncharacteristic, girlish squeal of excitement and wrapped my arms around Bumblebee's lower leg in a hug. Then I dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I was going to get my shower!

I spent a good while in that amazing shower. I scrubbed my skin clean with the soap, cleansed my hair with a fruity shampoo, and came out feeling almost like a new person. Incredible what some soap and a breakfast can do, huh?

I tugged my old clothes back on and curiously rubbed at a spot on the foggy mirror to get a glimpse of my reflection. I haven't really looked in a mirror since I was eighteen years old. It turned out I didn't look too different. My eyes were still a bright blue, my skin still light. My black hair had grown longer and wilder over the years, my eyebrows could use a bit of plucking, and my cheeks weren't quite as round, but overall I was the same person. I touched my chapped bottom lip with a sigh. I was hoping for a scar, or freckles, or _something_. I'm not the same person I was three years ago. I just wish it showed more.

I squeezed the water from the ends of my hair with the towel and slipped out of the warm bathroom. Dang it, I was left alone with Ratchet again. He was speaking to Optimus on the screen, and once I saw that the others weren't in any danger—wherever they were—I snuck away to look around the base some more. It was big, with not too many places to explore. I was getting bored fast.

That is… until my finely tuned ears heard painful crackles of static. I don't know how or why, but to my ears it sounded kind of like an injured animal. It was coming from outside the base.

I looked both ways before rushing off to the exit. Please don't ask me what compelled me to do so. It's always been a weird little thing of mine. Whenever I hear something in pain—that isn't a Decepticon or someone who deserves it—I have this incessant urge to help them. I could feel it in my spark, forcing me to leave and find out who or what was in pain. I had no choice but to transform and obey.

I raced out of the base and across the golden Nevada desert, not having to go far to locate the source of the cries. It was a strange, small metal thing that sort of resembled a bird, and it was hiding behind a large rock. Its wings flapped uselessly, static weeping from it in the process. I knelt down to it worriedly in my robot form and carefully lifted it up, placing it on my lap.

"Shh, it's going to be okay," I cooed to it as I gently stroked its wings. My actions caused it to calm down and shift closer to me. "Ratchet will help you and you'll be better in no time, I promise."

Suddenly, I heard a _whoosh _of air and before I could blink twice, there was a Decepticon standing before me.

I froze, and unconsciously tugged the metal bird closer to me, even though it was wriggling to get free. This Decepticon didn't look quite like a drone either. However, he didn't look anything like that Starscream mech. This one was darker, quieter, with a blank visor covering his face. It greatly unnerved me that I had no clue what he was thinking about. He just… stared at me. I think.

I released the metal bird and it scampered away, oddly latching itself to the Decepticon's chassis. Before I had the chance to get to my pedes and deploy my guns, feelers burst from the Decepticon's frame and coiled around me tight, restricting any movement. One even wrapped around my mouth, silencing me. I tried and failed to bite down on that bugger.

This mech was much stronger than the others I've encountered. I shivered in fear and anger as it neared me. I was able to see my vulnerable reflection in his visor, and it made my spark tremble. Was I really that stupid? I should have never left the base! And-and I'm strong! I've trained, and I'm a fighter. So why can't I get free?

One of his feelers snaked around my neck, forcing me to look at him. I glowered at that mech, indescribable fury boiling up inside me. His visor displayed a static-filled screen, numbers scrawling across it before, abruptly, he hit a sensor node on my neck and I was out like a light.

I woke up in a pretty scary way. I onlined my optics to find a shiny, cherry red mech trying to rip open the seals to my spark chamber. I tried to kick at the bot or shove him off, and screamed when I realized I was strapped down—similar yet nothing at all like what Ratchet did to me earlier.

"Will _someone _shut her up?!" the red mech whined, momentarily halting in his work.

That's when I realized I had an audience. I recognized the slender, silver mech called Starscream, a big, scary silver mech with burning red optics, and the faceless bot that had gotten me here in the first place.

"Quiet!" the big, silver one roared, aiming a fiery cannon in my face. Well that shut me up.

The red bot gave me a creepy smile and purred, "Now why don't you open that little spark chamber for me, hmm? I'd just love to see your pretty spark. Is it as appealing as your frame?"

My optics widened in horror as I took in my current predicament. I was strapped down to a berth, surrounded by Decepticons who wanted to see my spark. So not good.

"Open it before I do it for you," the large mech growled. I glared back at him. If he wanted my spark, he was going to have to rip it out of my chassis.

Understanding my stance on this, he suddenly shoved the cherry mech aside and tore open my spark chamber. It happened so fast that it was all I could do to choke back a scream as my spark's light illuminated the room. The mech greedily grinned and grabbed for it. I felt violated in a way I've never known before—as if he was reaching into my very being, twisting my inner circuitry with each flick of his claw. My frame convulsed, white light flashing before my optics as my spark was just about torn from my chassis. Finally, he roared in fury and let go, leaving me a trembling, exposed, whimpering mess on the berth. I swear I could still feel those big, twisted servos squeezing and yanking on my spark. My spark was screaming in pain and lubricant stained my faceplates for the second time since yesterday. Yet, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of victory. A small smile graced my mouth. They had not yet succeeded in taking the AllSpark. There's still hope.

"Why won't it come out?" the large, silver mech demanded in a hiss. "Knock Out!"

The cherry mech bolted over and ran a scanner down my frame. He pulled up a diagnostic scan on the monitor. "My liege, by this scan it appears that the energy from the AllSpark has leaked into… well… her. This shows that the AllSpark is now no longer exclusively her spark. She _is _the AllSpark."

"How are we supposed to harness the energy now?" Starscream wailed. "We can't use a bot that way!"

A combination of the pain and shock caused me to zone out from the rest of their conversation. That can't be right; I can't be the AllSpark. I'm not. I merely give it a home in my spark chamber, nothing more. Unless… maybe it did leak into my circuitry? Now what? The AllSpark is forever immortal, while I'm not. It's not like it can continue to function inside me… right?

I was dragged from the Decepticon med bay and to a small room, which they chained me up in. They hadn't even bothered to closing my spark chamber, and unlike earlier, I found that I didn't like my spark being exposed. It was okay with Ratchet and Optimus because I trusted them. But I sure as anything didn't trust these Decepticons around my spark. The big silver mech who I'm guessing is Megatron nearly destroyed it.

I was deeply lost in my dark thoughts when I felt something touch my pede. I hissed sharply, but then relaxed when I realized it was only the metal bird. I'm glad she's better. Then I flinched, remembering who the metal creature was affiliated with. Sure enough, the faceless mech stood there in the door. I think Megatron called him Soundwave.

I fisted my servos and glared up at him through the inky darkness. "What do you want, Decepticon?"

Soundwave lifted an arm, pointing eerily at the small creature. I looked back down at her in disbelief. "Because of her? What, did she want to see me?" I joked, but then paused when she flew into my lap. How about that.

It was a bit strange in foresight, but I spent some time with the bird and Soundwave. Soundwave never spoke a word, but he did offer me a cube of energon. I gladly accepted it, even though it was richer than what I'm used to. And when he had to leave with his metal bird, I found that I missed their company. While they weren't my family or the Autobots by any stretch of the mind, it did allow me to forget about my uncertain future for a little while.

Four hours had passed before I saw anybody. Starscream came in to retrieve me, and he brought me to Megatron. I was forced down on my knees, my optics burning holes into Megatron's pedes. But as soon as Starscream moved away, I stubbornly pushed myself back up. I folded my arms across my chassis and met Megatron's leveled gaze.

I smiled. "You'll never have the AllSpark, Megatron, and you'll never win this war."

I expected him to hit me or throw me across the room. What I didn't expect was laughter. "And why do you think that?"

"Because the Autobots and I will never let that happen."

"I'm sure," Megatron flicked a servo dismissively, amusedly. "Have you ever wondered what I wish to do with the AllSpark? What all of us wish to accomplish?"

I stayed silent, though I knew the answer. He wanted to conquer Earth, revive Cybertron and gain all the power in the universe—that's what.

"All we want to do is bring back Cybertron," Megatron explained calmly. He circled me slowly. "It was destroyed, but with the AllSpark it can be resurrected. Since you are the AllSpark, I am now asking for your aid in helping us."

I rolled my optics. "Me, helping the Decepticons? Yeah, right."

His right optic twitched and I thought I saw a flash of anger across his face, but it was gone in the next instant. It kind of crept me out, if I'm being honest. "All I'm asking is for your cooperation in bringing back our home planet, Cybertron. With your help, we can resurrect Cybertron and leave this planet for good."

My processor spun at his words. I know I should never trust a Decepticon, but Megatron's plan sounded too perfect. Hmm… maybe that's the problem. It's _too _perfect. I can't imagine that Megatron would simply leave Earth as it is, with its supply of energon. I highly doubt that Megatron would willingly settle with Cybertron once he has the power of the AllSpark. With the AllSpark, you can do almost anything, if you know how to harness the power. The Decepticon warlord is already hanging on the last threads of sanity as it is; there's no telling what he'd do with power like this. Although I'd love to see the Decepticons leave Earth permanently, I can't risk the chance of them lying to me or something going wrong. The safety of Earth is not something you can take risks on, and I have a feeling the Autobots would approve.

"I'm not helping you."

Those four words got me backhanded, thrown into a wall, and shoved back into the small dark room. I curled up into a ball and offlined my optics, attempting and failing to get any recharge. To get to a state of recharge requires peace, and getting that right now I deemed impossible. My body and processor were exhausted and my spark ached for a break, but I doubted I would get any, anytime soon.

Five hours had come and gone, with no sign of a single sole. I stared blankly into the darkness, silently wondering if the Autobots were looking for me. Ah, I bet they were. Somebody's always looking for me. Though it's never technically _me_, is it? It's always my slagging spark. Ha… I never thought I'd come to hate my own spark, but I do. The AllSpark is the only reason the Autobots care about me. I know this for a fact because when I'm just me, like when I attended high school, I never had any friends. Nobody ever came up to me and started a conversation. And if they did, they never did again. The only reason my parents care about me is because that's their job. For a long time I thought the sole purpose Dad loved me was because I had the AllSpark inside me—the object he was told to protect—and it truthfully took years until he was able to convince me otherwise. You'd think that sometimes I'd wish that I didn't have the AllSpark inside me, and I had a regular one instead, but that's not true. Without the AllSpark, I'm nothing. The AllSpark is all I am and all I'll ever be. The Decepticon medic proved it himself with that diagnostic scan. I… I shouldn't even be alive. I'm a mistake. The AllSpark is the reason I'm alive, and one day it'll be the reason I die.

I didn't realize I was crying until my cooling fans kicked on. I groaned in mortification and furiously wiped away my tears. I don't skulk like this! I don't cry like a baby! I'm twenty-one years old! What's wrong with me? Am I losing my mind?

I gave a muffled scream before rolling over onto my chassis, burying my helm in my arms. Somehow, I was able to drift off to a recharge.

_I was floating in the air in a dark, starry place. Instead of being the bot that I had fallen into recharge as, I was my human self. My long hair spanned out around me like a raven cloud, oddly soft and silky as it tickled my cheeks. Was I dreaming?_

_"Ava Wren Roberts, I am Alpha Trion. I apologize that it has taken this long to reach you. Your spark is more heavily guarded than others I have encountered."_

_I swiped my head back and forth, looking around wildly. "Where are you? Where am I?"_

_"You and I are in your subconscious. I am here to speak with you about matters concerning the AllSpark."_

_I sighed deeply. "Look. I know I can't let Megatron get it. I understand; I'm doing my best."_

_Beautiful colored lights gleamed across the sky as the voice responded. "You have a great destiny awaiting for you, my dear child. The AllSpark has chosen you to help the Autobots win the war and save humanity."_

_I blinked several times in confusion. "What are you talking about? The AllSpark saved me because I was dying—end of story."_

_"You were not dying, Ava Wren Roberts, and the AllSpark knew that. Your body was only adjusting so that you could accommodate both your human and Cybertronian DNA. The same thing happened with your brother, and he is all right and adjusted now," a mass of white stars swirled around me, threading through my hair and in-between my fingers. "The AllSpark chose you because you are special. We knew you would have the strength to accomplish what needed to be done. The Prime cannot do this on his own."_

_I was speechless. The AllSpark… chose me? To help them? I wasn't dying? _

_"Now that you are aware of who you are and what you have been chosen to do, I recommend that you start to experiment with your… abilities. You might find that you can do more than you ever thought possible," there was a soft chuckle. "I wish you good luck, Ava Wren Roberts."_

And then, with a sharp intake of air, I woke up.


	4. Maybe They do Care

**Regular speech: blah**

**Dream speech: ****_blah blah_**

**Comm speech: ****_/blah blah blah/_**

Blah :P I've been busy with sports, some personal stuff and an insane amount of homework, so sorry that I'm not getting these up as quickly as I wanted. Oh, and I'll be introducing Optimus' and Megatron's POV in this chapter, just to add a little... variety ;) Eek, and beware incoming fluffiness!

Hope you enjoy, and R&R pretty please

* * *

I gazed around the darkness curiously. Abilities, huh? I guess now is as good a time as any to try out those 'abilities'. Though I seriously doubt I have any. My abilities should've come to life a long time ago, if they were ever there in the first place.

It didn't mean I wasn't determined to try, though. I pushed myself up on my pedes and walked over to the door. Of course, it wouldn't open no matter how hard I pushed on it. I tried blasting it open, but the only weapon at my disposal was the gun on my arm, and it wasn't nearly powerful enough to break through the thick metal door. Ugh, I'd do anything for a few of Dad's grenades right now.

I staggered a bit, almost losing my balance as my spark roared to life. It pounded painfully against my inner spark casing, much of the light already leaking through the gaping crack in my chassis. Ah, there it is. I knew it wouldn't stay weak forever.

Suddenly, a crazy idea came to me. I've always held back the power from my spark and the energy coursing through my circuits. I wonder what would happen if I just… let go. When I was little I used to think I'd explode or something. Mom always warned me against it, stressing that I could hurt somebody if things got out of hand. Dad had also always told me to keep it reigned it in; he said there was a chance I could unknowingly broacast a signal that would directly attract more powerful Decepticons. But now, there's no one and nothing holding me back from letting go. If I blow something up, why not let it be this room I'm in? And I'm already here with the Decepticons, so I've got no issue in that department.

So, instead of holding it in I pushed it out. The energy streamed to my fingertips, bursting out of the ends and creating one heck of a mess. The door busted wide open, as well as the area around the door and the vehicons that were guarding it. I did it!

Grinning stupidly, I moved over the wreckage and transformed into my alt mode. I raced down the dim hallway, eager to find the exit to this place.

"The prisoner is getting away!" someone yelled. I pushed myself even harder and faster, headed towards a door labeled as the exit. The Decepticons were on my tail, so I had no choice but to drive through the door and—

Into the sky?

I sliced through the air, an image of flailing limbs and terrified screams. The Decepticons had an airship? Damn it, why didn't someone tell me?!

Quickly, my fear of hitting the ground and breaking into a million pieces was replaced by an even scarier one. Decepticons were jumping out of the airship and flying after, growing closer by the millisecond. Instincts overtook me and I spread my arms wide. Then something miraculous happened. I transformed… but it wasn't into a car. I was a jet!

I overcame the shock just in time to dart out of Megatron's reach. I zoomed past them, slicing through the night sky like an arrow. I was flying!

_/Ava, do you read me?/_

I jerked out of the way before Soundwave could clip me, and then I heard Ratchet's voice. It was coming from inside my head. Yeah, it's weird. If that really is Ratchet, that means he's comming me. I've done it with Dad a few times, so I get the gist of it. As long as you have the bot's signal, you can comm him or her from anywhere. The bot can choose to allow or ignore the comm, and in my case I subconsciously allowed it. I forgot about the comm system after I permanently blocked Dad from accessing my communication signal, but now I'm glad that I didn't disable it completely. Maybe Ratchet will be able to get me out of here!

_/Ratchet! Is there any chance you could bridge me out of here?/_

_/Not likely. For one: you're in the sky. Secondly, I can't get a good read on your location if you keep moving like that. Can you reach ground safely?/_

I soared upward and did a flip in the sky, now heading the direction I came and momentarily disorienting some of the bots. I regarded Ratchet's words with a silent laugh.

_/I'm about to find out,/ _I commed back before cutting off communications.

I hit the ground and transformed into a car immediately, so I could take off across the desert. I couldn't shake the Decepticons off my bumper, so I had to drive into the more mountainous part of the land. In all those twists and turns I managed to slowly escape from Decepticon sights, but I realized all too soon that I had another problem. A big problem.

The large, green army tank rolled up beside me and smashed into my side, making sparks fly. I automatically transformed from the impact, and crashed into the ground, getting a mouthful of sand. I scraped my glossa against the roof of my mouth with a grimace. Turns out sand doesn't taste all that good.

"Hand over the AllSpark, insignificant femme," a male voice growled. I squinted in the darkness to see the silhouette of a mech standing before me, his red optics glowing like twin flames.

"Who are you?" I asked weakly as I raised my arm gun to the bot. I fired it, but he easily sidestepped it and jumped on me, pinning me down with my gun covered.

"My designation is Bludgeon, now give me the AllSpark!" large servos raked over my frame, searching relentlessly. I squirmed under the touch, struggling to get away. I tried using the power in my spark, but I couldn't get calm and controlled enough to be able to do it. The servos stilled on my chassis, where blue light was seeping through the crack. His red optics focused there and, with a malicious grin, he ripped it open.

I shrieked as the metal there was torn off my body and thrown against some rock. My spark lied completely naked and exposed, and he reached for it avidly.

"No, wait, you don't under…" my words trailed off into a scream as he began pulling on it in the same way Megatron did. Dear God, can I not catch a break?

Suddenly, the weight on my frame disappeared. I cautiously onlined my optics to see none other than Optimus Prime pounding the slag out of Bludgeon. What a beautiful, beautiful sight.

Bumblebee scooped me up off the ground and ran me through the ground bridge. The others followed, Optimus coming last—leaving behind a severely damaged mech.

"I'm fine," I insisted to deaf audials. Ratchet cursed both me and the Decepticons repeatedly as he welded my torn casing back over my spark. I had to admit, it felt good to have it covered again.

"How were you captured in the first place?" Arcee asked. "They shouldn't have been able to pick up on your signal from inside the base."

I shrugged nervously. "Um… Soundwave found me probably because I was… outside the base."

"What were you doing out there?!" Ratchet shouted, his blue optics narrowed angrily. "We told you to stay inside!"

"It's not my fault there was someone injured outside," I argued quietly. "I had to go help them."

He groaned. "Of course you had to."

Ratchet repaired me to a much better state than the one I was in previously, and by the time the sun came up you couldn't tell anything had happened to me. I told everyone about my dream with Alpha Trion and how the AllSpark seeped into my inner circuitry, as well as the new abilities that I've picked up. Smokescreen thought the flight capability was pretty cool, and Bulkhead was enthralled with the idea that I could simply lift my hand and push to blow up everything and anything in sight.

Unfortunately for me, Optimus decided that it was critical that I didn't leave the base again anytime soon… which basically translated to: 'She can't be trusted alone so she needs a babysitter.' Everyone had to look after me, but Bumblebee was my specific guardian. He volunteered first and seemed real eager about it. Putting aside the fact that I don't need a guardian as an adult, I didn't see a lot of harm in it. Maybe I do need someone making sure I don't get into trouble, as juvenile as that sounds. I mean, it's not just my life that's on the line here; it's the AllSpark's. Optimus said that he'd readily act as my guardian himself, but he was too busy finding relics and other things to do it. I was actually a little disappointed about that. I think I liked him, and I wanted to know more about him. For example: what makes him a Prime? Did it just happen, like my deal with the AllSpark?

"Bumblebee! Where the frag are you?!" I shouted with an annoyed stomp to my pede. This seriously wasn't fun anymore.

Arcee was walking by just then, stopping when she heard me. She jogged over, alarmed. "You can't find Bee?"

I sighed. "Nope. He talked me into playing a game of hide and go seek, and I've been looking for the past half hour. Why the heck is it this freaking hard to find a giant robot?"

She smiled. "He's good at stealth."

I folded my arms across my chassis and scanned the area for the sixth time. This was the last place I haven't looked, besides outside the base, and he was nowhere in sight. He made sure I knew outside the base was off-limits, even though it was practically a given. I can't believe it took him less than five minutes to find me hiding under the couch _as a human_. It's illogical.

"How old is he?" I inquired. I'd been wondering for a while. Sometimes he acts like a kid; while other times he acts like some old, experienced warrior. He's not as large as Ratchet, Bulkhead, or Optimus Prime, but I think that's because he's a minibot.

"He's on the path of becoming a full-grown mech, but he's not quite there yet. He's definitely not a sparkling, though."

I nodded, beginning to understand. Arcee likely didn't give me an age number because it wouldn't have made any sense to me. "So he's sort of around my a—" I stopped cold when my optics accidentally drifted to the ceiling. Oh my God. Bumblebee dropped from the ceiling, looking rather smug. My jaw dropped open and dramatically hung there for a few moments before snapping shut. "Wow."

OPTIMUS PRIME'S POV

"Hey, you finally found Bumblebee!" Bulkhead's loud voice grabbed Optimus' attention.

Ratchet was clearly livid. "Bumblebee! You were supposed to look over her at all times!"

Ava suddenly snorted. "Y-yeah, he literally was. Like a spider monkey!"

Optimus was surprised to see Arcee holding back a laugh as well. Bumblebee looked proud with himself for whatever reason, and Optimus wonderingly pulled up a web search of a spider monkey to try and figure out what Ava was talking about. Seeing the furry creature on the screen, his processor went blank and he couldn't come up with a single thing.

He didn't realize he was staring after Ava leaving with Bumblebee until Ratchet said, "I think it's good, pairing Ava with Bumblebee. Bumblebee needs someone to keep him occupied and he's certainly the most open and amiable mech on the team. I believe she would benefit from that, after learning of the situation with her family."

Optimus nodded slowly, though something just didn't feel right. "Did you run the medical diagnostics on her spark?"

"As best as I could, with the equipment I have here. Turns out she was right. The energy from the AllSpark has spread throughout her entire inner frame. It's an odd subject; it's as if she is _becoming _the AllSpark."

Weariness shook Optimus' frame at the mere idea. "If that's true, she is in even more danger. Megatron will stop at nothing to take her. We must ensure her safety and whereabouts at all times."

A couple hours later, Optimus was able to take a break from monitor duty. He wanted to speak with Ava about what had occurred with Bludgeon. If he'd seen correctly… he had his _servos _on her spark, pulling and ripping. A fierce wave of anger rippled through him at the memory. The spark was the most sensitive and private part of a bot's frame, the interfacing panel being a close second. Sparks are the core of a bot, and they contain the mech or femme's innermost thoughts and desires. It was one of the reasons why bots usually didn't sparkmerge with another unless they were completely serious about each other; it took a lot of trust to show your spark to someone, and let them touch it. The way the Decepticon was mercilessly handling Ava's spark—by human terms, one could call it 'rape'. No bot can go through something like that without any levels of psychological damage. Optimus needed to make sure she was going to be all right.

He found her in Bumblebee's quarters, drawing on paper with pencils, markers, and colored pencils that the kids must have brought in. The picture on the paper held an amazing likeness for the bots on the team. She drew all of them, even himself. She was currently a human, and it remained an odd thought for him that that human was the femme Ava. He supposed it would take some getting used to.

Bumblebee saw him first, launching to his pedes and saluting semi-casually. Ava took longer to respond, so absorbed in her drawing, but at his voice she was alerted.

"Ava, I would like to speak with you," he intoned. He had been feeling confident and sure, as he was trained to be, but the moment her bright blue eyes locked with his, his processor stumbled. For some unknown reason… he was nervous.

She looked nervous too, but she nodded anyways. "What is it?"

Optimus glanced pointedly at Bumblebee, comming for him to please leave the room, and for a crazy moment he thought the loyal scout was going to stay. Bumblebee stared one last time at Ava with an odd expression on his faceplates before departing the area. He couldn't exactly pinpoint that look, but for whatever reason—he didn't like it.

He stepped into the quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. He had them installed after he heard Arcee complaining about the lack of privacy, though the main reason they were there was that so Bulkhead wouldn't keep everyone up at night with that audial-splitting music Miko gave him. Optimus prided himself on keeping an open processor about everything the humans did or enjoyed, but the music was really pushing it.

And then he miraculously remembered to speak. "I just wanted to… make sure you were all right. You didn't tell us everything that happened while you were gone, and what I saw with Bludgeon worried me."

She held the red colored pencil tightly in one hand, so tightly in fact that her knuckles turned white. Her head bent, she refused to meet his optics, yet her voice was calmer than air. "I'm fine. Ratchet fixed me all up, remember?"

He didn't quite know how to go about this. How and why did he get in this situation in the first place? Because he was worried? Bumblebee was her guardian; he could've told him to talk to her. Maybe even Ratchet could have, so it would be spoken about on a clinical basis.

Optimus vented heavily. It was clear that it affected her, more than she allowed herself to let on. "I am not speaking of the physical damage, Ava. Someone touched your spark, and based on what I saw, it was much more than that. You have every right to feel violated."

He wasn't expecting what happened next, and so fought to maintain his already uneasy balance.

"Why are you even asking me that?! What do you care?" she just about exploded, transforming immediately into a femme and making his optics widen. "I said: Ratchet fixed me up! The AllSpark is okay, alright? I'm going to stay at base like a good little femme so the Decepticons never get a hold of me. That's all that slagging matters!"

Lubricant clouded her optics, and she angrily wiped it away. Optimus was absolutely shocked at her display. He could see all of these emotions just piling up inside of her, waiting for the moment to snap. He was also dazed by the fact that she had said all of that to _him_: Optimus Prime. No one ever dared speak to him like that. Even Ratchet never went that far; he always held back, seeing him as the mighty Prime.

He instinctively reached forward to gather her small, slender frame into a comforting embrace. He hadn't hugged anybody in a long, long time, and he had to admit that it felt good. And apparently she sorely needed it, judging by the way she latched onto him and made no move of letting go any time soon. Not that he minded.

"I'm asking because I care about _you_, Ava," he reassured her softly. "We all care about you. Did you know that while you were gone, the AllSpark wasn't mentioned even once?"

She shifted her weight but stayed silent.

"Don't think of the AllSpark as a definition of who you are. You have already proved to be a strong, brave fighter in your own right. The AllSpark is your burden and your aide, but never _you_," he released her as she pulled away to peer up at him. "And I don't intend on keeping you here on base forever. It would be unjust to do so. We simply need time to figure things out, and devise a plan."

She stayed close and kept her optics low. He hoped that she wouldn't lose it on him again. "I'm really sorry," she more or less whispered, "for yelling at you again. I'm not used to anybody paying me the time of day except for my parents, and I guess I'm still kind of shaky. I promise I'll try to get better at… um, controlling myself," she smiled at him impishly. "Thank you, Optimus."

She had a pretty smile. His spark fluttered and he smiled back.

AVA'S POV

After my special talk with Optimus, I met back up with Bumblebee to go play some more games. I was starting to feel a heck of a lot better, especially when Ratchet let me know that Dad, Mom and Caleb were coming later tonight. Playing with Bumblebee effectively took my mind off things—shocker of shockers—while the talk with Optimus made me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. Maybe they do care. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. Just because the kids at my school and around my neighborhood never understood me or liked me, it doesn't mean these bots won't. After all, they do have completely different DNA, so I suppose they're my best shot. And if they don't care? They can kiss my aft. I'm used to it. As long as they see me as a bot and a human rather than a glowing blue cube, I'm awesome.

When the kids returned from school, they were excited to see I was okay. Aunt June was with them, and she gave me a bone crushing hug, relieved that I was back. She also brought some fast food with her, which I very much appreciated. I sunk my teeth into the juicy cheeseburger and sighed contentedly. It's better than I remembered.

I was helping Jack and Miko with their homework as best as I could, since no one else had any idea, when suddenly Ratchet informed me that they were arriving. At first I was confused, but it only lasted for a short little moment. A big black truck came rolling into base, a familiar face and a little boy hopping out. The truck transformed immediately, and I let out a sound akin to a scream as I ran over to them. I hugged my sobbing mother and transformed into a bot so I could give Dad a proper hug as well. I missed them so much… it killed me to never where they were or if they were all right.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Mom said before wrapping me into another hug. She squeezed me a little too tight for comfort. "You scared us to death, Ava Wren Roberts!"

Dad glared down at me with his dark blue optics. I shivered, forgetting just how scary he could be when he felt like it. "I am _never _letting you out of my sight _ever _again, young lady. We'll continue this conversation later," his optics roamed over to the awed team.

While they did their reunion, and they filled each other in on the going-ons in their lives and the war, I met my younger brother. He was absolutely adorable, with a soft, round face, a mop of curly brown hair, and warm amber eyes. He clutched a stuffed bear to his chest, his little arms wrapped around it as though it was his lifeline. He looked like he took after Mom.

"Hi there, I'm Ava… your big sister," I greeted the three-year old softly, nervously. Of course I was nervous! Who wouldn't be, meeting their sibling for the first time?

He hugged his bear tighter and stared up at me curiously. I sort of wished Mom hadn't went to join Dad right about now. I think I could use the help. I've always liked kids, but I've never spoken with them personally. Does he even understand what I'm saying?

Surprisingly, her opened his mouth and answered confidently: "Ava big sissy. Mommy and Daddy tell me. Caleb loves big sissy."

And with that, he wrapped his arms around the lower portion of my body, as much as he could, with the bear still hanging there. My lip quivered. Ugh, I promised myself I wouldn't break down. I will not cry; I will not cry; I will not cry…

Aunt June returned later on that night with dinner. Miko and Raf got permission to stay a bit longer, so they got to eat with us too. Mom was happily reunited with her sister, and they shared parts of their lives over the food being passed around. Dad caught back up with Bulkhead over a few cubes of synthetic energon—which he was justly praised for—while I jumped between Mom's conversation, Dad's, talking to Optimus, and chilling with Raf and Bumblebee. Caleb had taken a liking to Optimus Prime, and was currently climbing all over him like he was a monkey gym. Mom and Dad weren't too worried; they said that he was very agile and quite a sturdy little thing. Optimus, however, was horrified. He said that he didn't want the little one to hurt himself, so he repeatedly plucked Caleb off, yet he kept on coming. Ratchet joked that he was a walking sparkling magnet. I did my best to help Optimus keep my brother off, but I did have to give Caleb kudos for his determination.

I started to notice something interesting happening with Smokescreen and Arcee. They weren't fighting this time, just talking, and when Arcee walked away Smokescreen's optics would follow her. Arcee was oblivious to everything. He had this expression on his face that was sort of familiar, though I couldn't remember where exactly I'd seen it before. Slowly, I started to understand. Smokescreen liked Arcee. He _really _liked Arcee.

I had to bite down on my lip to stop a girlish squeal from escaping my mouth. I excused myself from Bumblebee and Raf, transformed into a bot, and ran over to Arcee. She had to grab me before I ran into her.

I rarely use my comm system, as I've never seen the point, but now I have a valid reason to use it. I sent out a comm request, the type that only the recipient will be able to read, and she frowned but accepted anyways. I smiled.

_/Arcee! Smokescreen totally likes you./_

She stared at me like I'd grown another limb. _/What the slag are you talking about?/_

I rolled my optics. _/It's pretty obvious; you're just too ignorant to see it. He talks to you and he watches you all the time. Besides, you're really pretty. What mech wouldn't like you?/_

She raised an optic ridge. _/You're calling me ignorant? I bet you don't even know that Bee has a crush on you. Everyone else does./_

"Don't try to change the subject," I hissed at her under my breath. I can't believe she made up some lie just to direct my attention from her.

"Come on, Ava! They're about to start that movie you wanted to see," Bumblebee chirped jovially before grabbing my servo and dragging me over to the TV screen. He sat as close to me as possible on the floor, even though there was plenty of room for everyone else. Arcee then sent me a knowing look, which I chose to ignore and smirked at her back instead, seeing that Smokescreen was casually inching closer to her.

MEGATRON'S POV

"This is pointless!" Megatron growled, his optics burning into the useless images on the screen. "Starscream, your tracker is picking up on nothing! There isn't even a fragment of a signal, and we still know nothing of the base's location."

Starscream fidgeted uncomfortably. "There remains a chance that the location will be revealed, my lord. And I believe the signal is just hard to find. Soundwave should be able to pick up on it soon."

"If there was one to be found, Soundwave would have found it already," Megatron grumbled impatiently. He was growing weary of Starscream's failures and disloyalty. The only reason he didn't offline his second-in-command then and there was because he provided a sort of amusement, or stress release.

"If Soundwave is so perfect, why don't you tell him to find the femme?"

Now there's an idea. His TIC has never failed him, and he has his doubts that he ever will. He even brought her to him in the first place; why can't he do it again? Grinning wickedly at the idea, he beckoned Soundwave over and begun to tell him exactly what he wanted him to do.

Very soon, he would have that femme in his grasp. He would have the power of the AllSpark, even if he couldn't rip it out of her to get it. Oh yes, there were other ways. More… _exciting _ways.


	5. A New Soldier and Another Lost

So, in this chapter I introduce yet another member to Team Prime (even though the bot might not be well-liked). I hope you like the story okay, and please review or something if you have the chance! Thank you so much to those who have reviewed/followed/favorited already. Hope you enjoy!

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AVA'S POV

We didn't just watch one movie; we watched four. It was Friday, so Jack, Miko and Raf were allowed to stay later than normal, but eventually they had to leave, as it was getting pretty dang late. Ratchet found a tracker, camera devise on Dad, and quickly disposed of it. No one could figure out where it came from or how it got there, and it was late, so we sort of just let it go. Luckily, Dad had either forgotten about the talk he wanted to have with me or he was just too tired to do it, because he soon retired to his quarters with a sleepy Mom and Caleb in tow.

We were watching the last movie, the time being somewhere after midnight, and I was struggling to stay awake to see the end. It was some action movie I forgot the name of, full of superheroes saving the world from peril. And I was unwavering in my resolution to stay awake because Aunt June had to return these movies tomorrow morning, and there was no way I was going to let her take them without knowing the ending. I had a feeling the other bots had a similar mindset, since not one moved from their spot or fell into recharge—not even old Ratchet. I was so tired I kept falling into Bumblebee, and the moment the movie's credits rolled across the screen, my systems shut down for a recharge.

Nothing too insignificant happened for a solid three and a half weeks. The Autobots obtained a relic, lost another, and managed to keep my signal screwed up enough so none of the Decepticons would be able to find me. I spent some good quality time with my family, and got to know my brother. Caleb could transform into a bot sometimes, but he couldn't do it fluently and he seemed to prefer his human form more than the Cybertronian one so far. He also liked to draw like me, so I got out the markers and colored pencils and we made drawings and arts and crafts together. I also helped the kids with their homework when needed. Since I couldn't go outside to fight the Decepticons like the others, Ratchet put me to work whenever he could. I was simply glad I was able to contribute. When the bots weren't away on a mission, I'd usually hang out with Bumblebee, Optimus Prime or Arcee. Sometimes I'd play-fight with Bulkhead or train with Dad. Smokescreen and Arcee still refused to acknowledge their feelings for each other, though I made it my personal duty to see the two together. Arcee tried to insist that you can't have relationships during a war, but I didn't listen to her. As mushy or sappy as it may sound, I knew that love was possible whenever and wherever. Just look at my parents, for example.

Mom didn't really like it that Dad had to go and fight Decepticons so frequently. It worried her a lot, and it was the same for me. And there was nothing we could do about it. I never wanted to drag them into this; it's why I left home in the first place. But I guess it's like what Mom and Dad said: family sticks together, no matter what.

I started to associate Bumblebee and the others with the term 'friends'. Arcee confessed that it was nice and refreshing to have another femme on the team. I did enjoy talking to her, especially when I needed to get away from all the testosterone. I learned about a mech called Cliffjumper that used to be her partner and the one she was in an intense relationship with, which probably explained the reason why she was so hesitant with Smokescreen. I also talked often with Optimus Prime; I loved his company, even the comfortable silence, and found that I was pulled closer and closer to him every day. He was like me in a lot of ways, and we had tons in common. Turns out he secretly had a passion for human music, specifically Dave Matthews, Dispatch, and several other bands. And when I lost the courage to ask Bumblebee why he spoke in beeps and whirrs instead of normal words, it was Optimus I went to, to get the full, heartbreaking story. I can't believe Bumblebee had to go through that. It just emphasizes how strong, brave and loyal of a mech he was. When I saw Megatron again, I wanted to personally rip out his spark for what he did to my friend. No one can do something like that and get away with it.

After Mom was sure I was okay on my own, she spent most of her time with her sister Aunt Darby. They'd been away and out of contact for a long time and they had quite a bit to catch up on. It turned out Aunt Darby needed help at the hospital in Jasper, and since Mom had a degree in nursing, she quickly snatched her up for job. Oh, and Mom and Dad were able to put Caleb in preschool. They weren't able to put me in preschool when I was younger because they said I was too crazy and hyper for my own good, but Caleb was a lot more mellow and suited perfectly for daycare. I felt sad that I couldn't play with him during the day anymore, but I got to see him at night and I knew it was for the best. It was good Caleb was mingling with other kids and it would make life around the base easier.

"Congratulations, Ava," Ratchet said sincerely as he put the finishing touches on the job. "You are officially an Autobot."

Dad beamed with pride as I checked out the insignia on my chassis. I'd already taken the Autobot vows and now I had the symbol on my chassis, yet I still didn't feel like an Autobot. I felt ashamed. I'm not fighters like they are; I stay inside all the time, hiding. I'm not an Autobot. I don't deserve this, but I can't very well tell them I don't want it, can I?

That night, I had another nightmare. I'd been having them on and off ever since I got back from the Decepticon's warship. I haven't told anyone about them yet, and they won't go away. In certain ways, they're getting worse.

_"Give me the AllSpark, femme!" Megatron shouted in my face as his servo punched into my spark chamber. I let out scream after scream as he viciously squeezed and tore at my spark, struggling to get it out of my chassis. _

_"S-stop it! Let it go!" I screamed. It was the first time I had ever personally spoke a word in this nightmare. _

_egatron only chuckled maliciously and tugged even harder on it. The pain was now just a numbing feeling, and I started to wish that my spark would come out. Then all the pain would go away._

_"Ava!" Megatron growled. Wait, how does he know my name?_

"Ava!"

My optics came online to find someone shaking me awake. It was Optimus Prime, in my room, practically on top of me. I went very still.

I guess he also realized the compromising position he was in, because he scrambled off of me and had the grace to look embarrassed. "I-I was just going to my quarters when I passed yours and heard a scream."

I kept my gaze down, though I was very grateful that he woke me up. "I thought these walls were soundproof."

"They block out most sound," he agreed quietly, "And if I was in my quarters I wouldn't have heard it. But I was in the hallway and able to hear," he shifted his weight to his other pede. "Are you… all right?"

I hung my helm. "Thanks for waking me up, and I'm okay. I've been having these nightmares for a while now… I didn't know I was actually screaming out loud."

His blue optics brushed over my frame like a soft feather. I suppressed a shiver as I felt my own optics rise to meet his. I tried desperately to avert them, but it was no use. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to. When I'm around him, I feel drugged—like a moth to a flame. I'm terrified of the foreign pull I feel toward him, yet I can't stay away for two reasons. One: we live on the same base, and secondly: a big part of me just doesn't want to. And it's not only me. It's my spark; it craves _something_.

"Who were you talking to?"

My processor clouded with confusion until I understood what he meant. "Oh. Um… Megatron."

His optics darkened. He eliminated the short distance between us, and before I had time to get some of it back, he placed a servo on my shoulder. "You never told anyone what happened on the Nemesis, Ava. I think whatever it was is causing you to have these nightmares, and until you tell someone they won't go away."

I lifted my chin. "Everything fades with time."

"Strong enough memories may stay with you for the rest of your life," he sighed, and I felt myself stiffen. No, I didn't want to remember that for the rest of my life! "I'm not saying you have to tell me anything, but I want you to know that I'm always here for you. If you want to talk, I'll listen, and I'll never judge you. I promise."

I fought the urge to roll my optics. "People make promises impulsively. I should know; I've made plenty of them."

He looked right into my optics, and I swear to God I saw pure, unadulterated honesty lying there. "When I make a promise Ava, I keep it until the day I am offlined. Do you understand?"

I nodded weakly, a small smile pulling up the corner of my mouth. Sometimes I forget he's a Prime: the chosen one. If anyone can be honest and keep promises, it should be him.

I tugged on his servo until he was sitting next to me. Then, scooting as close to him as I dared, I whispered, "Okay, I'll tell you."

Morning came around with no sign of another nightmare. I felt much better than I had the other day, having been able to tell Optimus all that stuff last night. Since I was tired, I didn't wake up until late so I missed Mom and Caleb. Dad was there, though, so I talked with him and Ratchet while I ate my breakfast. When Ratchet wasn't yelling or groaning about something, he could be quite pleasant. Then again, he might've just been treating me nicer because I was his niece. Yeah, _niece_. Ratchet is Dad's brother, therefore my Uncle.

When Bumblebee entered the room, I quickly finished my synthetic energon and rushed over. Dad and Ratchet were chuckling quietly behind me, making it difficult to ignore them. Even Dad likes Bumblebee, and thinks he would be a 'proper mate' for me someday! No one seems to care that I've told them over and over that he's _just my friend_. Sure, he's cute and all, but there's no way I could see him in that way. Luckily, Mom is against it. She wants me to settle down in the future with a nice, non-Cybertronian, human boy. Personally, I think they're all insane. What boy—or mech—in their right mind would like me?

With that depressing thought, my steps slowed and soon I was dragging my pedes over to Bumblebee. I sighed. Man, I can be a real downer sometimes. I might seriously have some issues.

Soon after they had to leave, picking up on several Decepticon signals not too far from the base. I perched on the berth near Ratchet and the monitors, my usual spot when stuff like this goes down. It was a Saturday, so Miko was playing a video game with Raf while Jack was out on a date with some girl… Sierra, I think. Miko didn't appear too happy about it, by the way she handled the news and how she was currently yelling and crushing Raf in the game without a hint of pity. Then again, that may just be Miko for you. I made a mental note to talk to her about it when she wasn't so riled up.

I was idly fingering one of Ratchet's medical toys when I heard something _pop_. I winced as the thing dropped to the ground, a couple gears now lying strewn out for everyone to see. Crap on a stick. Ugh, maybe he won't notice.

"Ava! I needed that!" Ratchet growled, spinning around to face me. Dang, that mech has optics on the back of his helm. So much for him not noticing.

I crossed my legs and peered up at him with wide, innocent blue optics. The look works on Bulkhead, Dad, Bumblebee and Optimus, so why not Ratchet? "It was an accident, Uncle Ratchet."

He folded his arms sternly. "What did I tell you about calling me 'Uncle'? I do not agree with that human term! My designation is Ratchet, and don't you forget it."

"What about doc-bot then? Dr. Ratchet? Perhaps 'Ratchet the Hatchet' would be best suited, don't you think?"

I heard the kids giggling behind me, and I broke out into a cheeky grin. Ratchet narrowed his optics and opened his mouth to say something inevitably fierce, but Optimus commed him before he could get it vocalized. My shoulders slumped with relief. Saved by the comm.

"Ratchet, we have a situation," Optimus' voice came through the comm. There was an odd edge to it, however, that made me know he was uneasy about something. "The Decepticon threat has been neutralized, but be prepared to accept a familiar face."

I frowned and Ratchet looked just as perplexed. "Don't tell me it's another human."

"No, it's an Autobot. We are now requesting a ground bridge."

Ratchet turned on the ground bridge, all of our attention directed to the swirling portal. Another Autobot, huh? I wonder where the bot's been all this time.

Dad, Smokescreen and Arcee entered base first, followed by a yellow and black Urbana 500 and a blue motorcycle. Then came the flaming red and blue semi, following by a… small, hot pink sports car. I squinted. So. Much. Pink. Have I ever mentioned how much I despise the color pink?

"Who's that?" Raf asked Bumblebee, jogging over to him as they all transformed.

Bumblebee beeped out what I guess was a name: "Elita One."

The Elita One chick transformed into a femme roughly around my and Arcee's size. Her optics were a common blue, some of her body was a light silver, but she was mostly pink. It would take a while getting used to merely having to look at her.

"I've never seen you before," she declared bluntly as she walked up to me. I remained frozen as her optics scrutinized me.

"Her name is Ava," Optimus explained. "She holds the AllSpark, and she is now an Autobot on our team."

Dad eyed her testily. "She's also my daughter."

Elita One gave me an odd look before swiveling to face the others. "Well, isn't that delightful? Now, Opti, would you kindly show me to my quarters?"

Opti? Never heard that one before.

Though his movements were slow, he did end up showing Elita One down the hall and to her quarters. The moment they were gone, the team erupted in quiet clamor. I slid up next to Bumblebee, Arcee and Smokescreen.

"I don't think she likes me very much," I pointed out softly.

Arcee huffed. "Elita One doesn't like anybody, especially competition."

I shook my helm. "Competition?"

Smokescreen nodded grimly. "She's gone after nearly every mech on this team. Most have turned her down, but that doesn't stop her. She sees other, pretty femmes like they're competing for her power, or attention."

"We didn't believe it when she went after our commander," Bumblebee added. "Optimus is practically untouchable! She doesn't care. She still wants his attention like any other mech's on the team."

I covered my face with my servos. "Please don't tell me she went after my Dad."

Silence.

I lowered my hands, disgusted. "How old is she, anyways?"

"Around Arcee's age," Smokescreen said, "but that doesn't stop her from going after mechs like Bumblebee, or mechs tons of years older than her—like your dad or Ratchet."

"Is she at least a good fighter?"

They all exchanged looks. "Not really," Bumblebee replied honestly. "She's not that brave either. She usually sticks back on base."

"If it wasn't for us, I don't think she'd have been able to defeat those three cons by herself," Arcee mumbled under her breath. "Amazing she's survived this long."

For the rest of the day, I made an honest effort to like Elita One. I really did. When she tripped me in the hallway, I took it for an accident. I even ignored the cruel names she whispered in my audial sensors. She reminded me so much of Zoe that I seriously wondered for a while if Zoe had somehow turned into a Cybertronian and ended up here. My spark ached and I longed to punch her and knock some respect into that pink frame, but I refused to give in. I'm not the same girl I was in high school. She can pick on me all I want; I don't care.

However… I got a little antsy when I saw her flirting with Smokescreen, Bumblebee, and Optimus. None of them accepted her advances—Smokescreen and Arcee even left the base with some of the kids to get away from her—but I was still miffed that she had the audacity to do it. Each time she got close to Bumblebee, I ran over to guard him and itched to strangle her. I felt like a mother hen trying to protect her little ones. I didn't want Bumblebee to get hurt. But when she approached Optimus, there wasn't a lot I could do. Me, protecting Prime? As if. I could only stand by and watch as she sidled up close to him, touching him all she wanted while whispering sweet things in his audials. I was stunned and ashamed when I realized I wasn't just angry… I was jealous. I've never been brave enough to get that close to him, unless we're in privacy and I'm in an emotionally turbulent state. And here Elita One is, doing whatever she wanted. She was a pretty femme, and Optimus might accept her. I guess it's just the sad way things work out.

"Oh, hello Ava," a sweet voice called from behind me. I'd just gotten from the wash racks, and at her voice I cringed. "Are you going to wash up as well?"

I lowered my optics and kept on moving. "I already did."

She laughed softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice. I suppose there are some marks even eons of buffering and washing won't take away, hmm?"

I remained quiet, eager to get to Bumblebee's room. He couldn't take me off the base to get away from her, but he did suggest that we could lock ourselves up in his quarters with a few games and drawing stuff. It sounded like heaven to me.

"Not everyone can have a flawless finish, you know," she cooed. "Have you ever considered switching your alt mode? Another might complement your… unique frame better. Perhaps another car will make you close to being visually adequate."

I almost made it to the hallway where the rooms were, but she rushed in front of me before I could make it. I stumbled back against the wall, and she slowly stepped up to me with a forced smile on her faceplates. Oh, all the disgusting pink…

"I want you to listen to me, sweetie," she grabbed my chin and lifted it up so I was glaring right into her own odious optics. Still, that smile never disappeared. "I've seen the way you look at our commander," she laughed at my shocked, embarrassed reaction. "You're not fooling anybody, trust me. Now, tell me: why you would shoot that high? He belongs with me, sweetie. A true Autobot. You're nothing but a nobody. No one wants you here. They put that symbol on your chassis just to make you feel better. The only thing keeping us from chucking you is the Autobots' moral code and that AllSpark of yours. Did you really think they cared about _you_? I can't believe you thought you stood a chance with the Prime, of all mechs! How silly! How naïve you—"

"Elita One! Release her, _now_!" a familiar voice ordered, yet the tone was strange. I've never heard Optimus so angry before.

The instant she released me I fled and zipped right into Bumblebee's room across the hall. I couldn't get there fast enough. I prayed to the good Lord that Optimus hadn't heard us. If he did, there's a high chance I'd literally die from embarrassment. The door snapped shut and locked—as promised. Yay, now I can breathe again.

OPTIMUS' POV

He watched, slightly frustrated when he saw Ava run to Bumblebee's quarters. He's heard plenty of rumors that the two of them would make a great couple, and Optimus hates to hear it. Bumblebee's an excellent and loyal scout, but recently he hasn't been able to imagine her with anybody. Maybe he should've picked Arcee as her guardian instead.

"She was falling so I helped her up, Opti," Elita One explained as she slid over to him.

Optimus didn't hear the whole thing, but he did catch the end of it. She dared to tell Ava that none of them cared about her, while his team obviously loved her like family at this point, and then went on to say something about her never standing a chance with him. Standing a chance for _what_, exactly?

"You were harassing Ava," Optimus said strictly, moving out of the way before she could brush him with her servos. "I heard you."

At that, Elita One froze and appeared scared. "All of it?"

"Only the end, but it was enough to know your attitude towards her," he frowned as she visibly relaxed. "As an Autobot, you are not to harass other members of the team. It's outside of the Autobot code, and I will not tolerate it. I expect you to publicly apologize to her for it. She has gone through enough; she doesn't not need you picking at her like a scraplet," he nearly growled the last part, but contained himself in time. He ignored her blunt shock and marched away. He'd have to be careful; Ava was one of the few and only beings that could unsettle him.

AVA'S POV

"It's a bear," Bumblebee insisted.

"Oh my God, it's a bunny!" I argued back, holding up the drawing pad for emphasis. "See the big bunny ears and the bushy tail?"

Bumblebee tilted his helm curiously at my crappy drawing. Still, he should've seen it as a bunny, not a bear. In our free time, I've been teaching different human things. He's specifically interested in all the Earth animals, so I've been helping him with that. So far, his favorite animal is the bear—evident by the way he sees nearly everything I draw as that animal. Then again, I'm not the best animal drawer, so the bear-idea might have a valid point.

"Ava?"

I finished scribbling down the outline for a dolphin, and peered up at him from the other side of the berth quizzically. "Hmm?"

"I like you."

I laughed and smiled at him. I shook my left hand a couple of times, trying to get some of the soreness out of it. The side of my palm was dark gray and covered with pencil graphite, but there wasn't anything I could do about it, so I decided my pictures would just have to be a little smudgy. "I like you too, Bumblebee."

If possible, his optics brightened. I was about to go back to my drawing when he beeped, "You're really pretty too."

My eyes widened and so did my smile. He thinks I'm pretty? Eh, I don't even care if he's being honest or not! "Now that deserves a hug," I concluded. I considered giving him a hug as my current human self, but figuring it wouldn't be sufficient, I swiftly transformed and then wrapped my arms around the yellow scout.

Bumblebee quickly reciprocated, pulling me into a tight, warm embrace that was a bit more than I'd planned for. He was actually strong enough to haul me into his lap without me knowing it. He hummed noises that didn't translate to anything as he held me snugly. So this is what Caleb's teddy bear must feel like.

"Can't… breathe…" I vented, and he thankfully backed off. But before he let me go completely, he happily nuzzled his helm against my neck struts and squeezed my servo. Bumblebee's an affectionate bot, but he's never been this affectionate. Huh. I guess everyone needs a good hug every once in a while.

Later, Dad and the other bots were called in on account of Megatron wishing to make a trade of relics. Everyone knew we couldn't trust him, but they had to go anyways and see what was up. So, that meant I was stuck on the base with Ratchet and Elita One, and she didn't look none too happy with me. I practically glued myself to Ratchet's side, and luckily, he seemed to understand and didn't comment on it.

"Megatron wasn't looking to trade?" Ratchet repeated, perplexed.

Smokescreen's voice came through the transmitter. There were lots of noises on the side, his voice was strained and he paused every so often. "No. He flew off and then this big army of cons came. I don't know why, but they're all trained on Ironhide," a long pause, then a grunt. "We're trying to get him out of there."

Ratchet banged his servo on the table while my spark shook erratically. "Do it quickly, will you? Comm me when you need the ground bridge."

I grabbed Ratchet's arm, my optics desperate and pleading. "Please, Ratchet, you've got to let me through. I have to help them."

"You'd just slow them down," he grumbled back. Then, he got a call from Aunt June. "What is it?" he demanded impatiently.

"Jenny's been taken by the cons!" Aunt June cried. "We were leaving work when a dark jet swooped in out of nowhere and took off with her!"

Ratchet went into freak-out mode, as did I. He commed the others to tell them about what happened, but they had bad news of their own. The cons had Dad.

I ran towards the exit of the base like a madwoman, only to be stopped by Elita One. She rested her servos on her hips. "Where do you think you're going? You have the AllSpark in you. We can't risk losing that and letting Megatron have it."

I was close to hysteria. "The _Decepticons_ have my _parents_. Get out of my way before I make another one _through _you."

She must've understood what all I was going to do to her, because she hesitated briefly before backing off. Smart femme.

"Don't even think about leaving this base, Ava," Ratchet yelled in his don't-mess-with-me tone. I intended to ignore him, but my actions were halted by the Autobots' arrival from the ground bridge.

I ran over to Optimus, not noticing the unsettled silence that had settled over them all. "Where did the cons take my Dad? What did they even want with him? Did they take him to the Nemesis? How do we get him back?! I bet my Mom's there too!"

Optimus refused to look at me, which strange in and of itself. His helm was bowed, he stood very still, and in an unfamiliar, shaky voice he asked, "Ratchet… her mother was taken?"

At his nod, Optimus placed his servos on my arms and held me in place. All my previous anxiety about the situation melted into horror as I studied the look on his faceplates. It was a similar expression to the ones the other bots wore, and it scared me.

"We will do everything in our power to bring your mother back," he said softly.

I smiled faintly at the sincerity in his voice, but it quickly faded as I comprehended the words fully. "What about Dad?"

Silence. Everyone gazed around at each other, seemingly at a loss of what to say. I opened my mouth and was about to ask what the heck was going on—until something in my processor clicked. My mouth closed, then opened again, very upset and in denial. Optimus' grip just tightened.

"No. No, no, no…" I murmured, unable to believe it. "Dad's fine! He has to be!"

Ratchet must've finally gotten it too, because he stumbled back and almost fell over his precious med tools. He looked as shock and disbelieving as I was.

"Ironhide has been taken to the Well of All Sparks. He… he's gone now Ava," Optimus explained.

I jerked out of his grip. "You're lying!"

Bulkhead suddenly showed from behind his back the beaten-up license plate from a GMC Topkick. Too much. _Too much_. With a strangled scream, I leapt away and shot off down the hall. I locked myself in my quarters and curled up into the smallest ball I could make, and I stayed that way for hours. My Daddy was... dead. The Dad I've trained with, played with, ate with, ran with, lived with. I felt like throwing up. My processor couldn't even begin to rationalize what had occured, so instead I focused on blaming myself. It's my fault this happened. He was told to protect the AllSpark, so he did, right up to his death. I couldn't believe it. However, I didn't forget Caleb. I knew he couldn't go through this on his own; he'd need somebody. Ironhide was his Dad too, and… I took him away from Caleb. Forever. His Mom was gone too, which was my fault, so it only makes sense that I should start accepting the blame now.

I snuck out of my quarters and paused before going into the common area. Voices drifted out of it: Optimus and Ratchet. I wiped the stray lubricant from my optics and shuffled over to hide behind a crate.

"We can't let her know," Ratchet mumbled. "If she did know, she'd be out of here in a nanoklik."

"After Megatron takes the AllSpark from Ava in trade for her mother's life, he'd likely simply offline her. We can't let her anywhere near him," Optimus added.

So that's what Megatron wants… a trade? My AllSpark for her safety? I can't let Mom die; not like I let Dad pass away. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that she's safe, even if I have to endanger myself in the process. I'll do it for Dad. But there's no way in hell Megatron's getting the AllSpark. I'll get Mom out—my way.


	6. Deception and Lies

Omg I don't know how much longer this story is going to be. I have a vague outline of what's going to happen, but... eh... you know how it is. I was supposed to be writing my big essay today, but instead I spent all my free time writing this. Yeah. Don't blame me! It's too tempting!

Lol. I'll stop rambling. R&R please!

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OPTIMUS PRIME'S POV

That night, Optimus Prime sat on his berth in his quarters and blankly stared down at his pedes. His servos clutched the edge of the berth on either side of him, his processor foggy and his spark beating with guilt. The Decepticons murdered Ironhide and carried him off, and he let it happen. He tried to save Ironhide, but he failed. And that look in Ava's optics and her frantic denial didn't make him feel any better about the situation. No one needed this… especially after what happened with Cliffjumper. He wanted to talk to Ava about it and make sure she was okay; he did, but after a few hopeless attempts he realized he was too ashamed to speak to her. After all, this was his fault. He was the _Prime_. He should have Megatron and the Decepticons defeated by now! Ironhide and Cliffjumper should be here and safe and the war should've been already won. Some Prime he's turning out to be.

Unable to fall into recharge, Optimus left his quarters and entered the common area. He accessed the communication systems on the monitors, searching for data recognition and electronic signals that would link to find the Nemesis' location. The Decepticons had Ava's mother, and they would keep her there until the Autobots agreed to hand Ava over to them. He definitely couldn't hand over Ava or the AllSpark to the Decepticons, and it was against everything he believed in to allow a human to remain in the clutches of the Decepticons for an extended period of time. The Decepticons didn't know how to care for a human; they might refrain from feeding or supplying the femme human with water or other essentials. Ava's mother could die from inadequate provisions before they could even break her out of the Nemesis.

Optimus vented a frustrated sigh. He had to get her out of there as soon as possible. Not only will it save Ava's mother, but it will keep Ava from trying to escape to go find her.

"Fragging pits," he cursed under his breath. This had to be Soundwave's doing. The exact location of the Nemesis was heavily guarded by decoy signals and firewalls, making it impossible for him to pry his way through. Perhaps he'd ask Raf to work on it. The young boy was surprisingly skilled with computers.

"Where's mommy and daddy?" a young voice suddenly asked.

He turned his helm to see Caleb standing there, his stuffed bear hanging by one side in his hand. He refocused his optics, not expecting to see anyone here so late. "You should be in bed, Caleb. Bumblebee moved your bed to Ava's room, don't you remember?"

Caleb stomped his foot angrily. "Where's mommy and daddy?" he repeated, with more vigor this time.

Optimus knelt so he was closer to the small boy. "They're not here right now, young spark," he fought from wincing at the end. If Ava didn't want to tell Caleb the truth yet, then it was her choice.

Caleb hugged his bear to him once before lifting his arms up to Optimus. Optimus just gazed at him curiously.

Clearly exasperated, the boy let out a yell and in an instant transformed into a very young Cybertronian. Caleb did it so rarely that it took Optimus off-guard, and he almost fell back in shock. The boy lifted his arm and, remarkably, a gun was deployed. Optimus froze.

"I'm sleepy. Tuck me in. Now," one little servo rested on the trigger.

Optimus groaned. Only Ironhide would give a sparkling a weapon. Optimus walked over carefully and bent down to scoop up the more firm sparkling. It was definitely easier picking him up like this; he didn't have to fear crushing his fleshy body.

"How do I 'tuck you in'?" Optimus queried as he approached Ava's quarters.

The sparkling giggled, but refused to answer. Optimus huffed and quietly carried him into Ava's quarters.

He set the sparkling down onto the padded mattress with blankets and pillows, Caleb transforming into a human the moment he touched the blankets. He wriggled under and Optimus prudently placed the blankets up to the boy's chin. His gold-colored eyes shut and within moments, he appeared to be fast into recharge.

Before leaving, Optimus glanced hesitantly at Ava. She was sprawled on her back across the berth, her helm turned towards the wall and her leg hanging off one side. Struck with the realization that she was not aware of her surroundings, he thought himself lucky to take the liberty to allow his optics to wander across her dark frame. Exquisite but now muted glowing blue designs graced her plating, completely unique to any other Cybertronian and likely evident because of the AllSpark. Her light silver, nearly white faceplates were lovely, her frame slender and curved in all the right places. To him, she was perfect. Everything about her was beautiful… he wouldn't change a single thing. His spark sang in agreement. He swore to protect her always, to help her figure all of this out and someday grant her freedom. He couldn't imagine not being able to leave the base and see the outside world, in fear that someone would steal him away, steal his spark and destroy everything he cared about. She lived with that every day, and what's worse: no matter how hard she fought, there was nothing she could do about it.

He paid her one last brief look before swiftly exiting her quarters.

AVA'S POV

"Upsy daisy," I sung as I picked Caleb up from bed in the morning. He really liked being picked up and carried around. "How did you sleep?"

Instead of answering me, he asked, "Where's mommy and daddy?"

I flinched. "They're… um… on a vacation, Caleb. They'll be back soon," I gave my brother a quick hug before taking him down to where the others were.

Jack, Miko and Raf were there, as it was a Saturday, and they agreed to babysit Caleb for me. I guess they saw that I was clearly not in the mood to entertain him. All I could think about was how to get my parents back. And yeah, I mean _parents_. I can't let myself believe that Dad's dead. Besides, what would be the Decepticons' point for killing him? Don't they need him to lure me into trading my life? It would make more sense to keep him alive rather than the latter.

"Oh good, you're here," an unenthusiastic femme said. I reluctantly turned my attention to Elita One. What did she have to say this time? She fidgeted a bit, as nearly everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing to stare at her. "I apologize for what I said to you in the hallway. I didn't know my words would upset you. I'm sorry, Ava," she put on a kind, amiable visage, but it wasn't aimed towards me. She was looking past me, to Optimus.

My optics narrowed as I understood what'd happened. Optimus made Elita One give me a public apology. She wouldn't do it on her own accord, and God knows she wasn't being sincere about it. She's making me look like a touché idiot! I don't him fighting my battles for me! It's certainly not helping anything! I gave him a quick glare before rushing over to Bumblebee. At least Bumblebee didn't treat me like a sparkling.

A few hours later, I found myself in the wash racks with Bumblebee. We were in there because Raf and Miko were doing an art project when Bulkhead decided to help with the paint and glitter. Bulkhead started to get crazy with the paint and glitter, and let's just say it went down from there. I had neon blue and pink paint streaked across my chassis and lower legs, and I had glitter in places that glitter should never be. Miko said that we looked like piñatas had thrown up all over us, and I'm sorry to say that I agreed.

I scrubbed at the paint and huffed under my breath. "We're _never _letting Bulkhead near the glitter again. Agreed?"

Bumblebee nodded his helm and lifted a servo, struggling to pick the tiny bits of glitter out of it. I sighed and took his servo, using my smaller digits and manipulating the water from the shower head to get the glitter out.

"Did you hear what Elita One said to me this morning?" I hissed as I dropped that servo and grabbed his other one. "She _apologized_ for what she said, saying that she didn't know her words upset me. Really?! And the only reason she did it was because Optimus told her too. She wants him, you know. It's disgusting. She's always up on him, gushing over him like some kind of… of…" I trailed off, dropping that servo as well. My spark quivering, I lowered my helm and let the water run over it.

Bumblebee gave a low, wordless beep as he picked up the abandoned washrag. He slowly rubbed at the paint on my chassis and watched it fade away. "Don't listen to Elita One," he urged. "She's just jealous. She's the type of femme who needs to be the center of attention all the time, and when someone else gets it—especially a prettier femme—she feels threatened and the need to show her dominance."

"Believe me; I'd gladly hand over the attention if I could. Do you think I want to have the AllSpark inside of me? It makes me feel like I'm not an individual. I feel like a shell for this great force. And it's not like the AllSpark's ever helped me. Instead of saving my life, it stole it and ripped my family apart. I… I don't want it anymore, Bumblebee."

Bumblebee stroked my helm soothingly and shook his helm. "The AllSpark is the reason you're alive, Ava. Without it, you wouldn't be here. You should be honored to have it inside you and to protect it."

I backed away from his touch, irritated. "I've heard that speech a million times. I don't need to hear it again from you."

"But—"

"Hey, you guys in here?" Bulkhead's voice came before he barged right in. He squished in-between us and threw his servos up in the air, taking in all of the water. It came splashing down on his large green form, washing away all the paint, glitter and glue.

Thank the Lord for Bulkhead.

I needed a break from Bumblebee, so I was wandering the halls alone. It was just my luck that I ran into Elita One.

We both froze, our optics burning into each other.

She looked around and, seeing no one, came closer and whispered, "You know I'm not really sorry, right? But Opti was so happy I'm making nice with you."

I raised an optic ridge. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"For the sake of the AllSpark, of course. We need you on our side, Ava. Why else do you think Opti and the others have been so sweet to you? We can't have you running off to Megatron, now," she clucked her glossa and placed a servo on her hip. She leaned closer so that she was speaking into my audial. "He told me that last night, in our berth. He's proud of me for making friends with you. He promised to reward me tonight… and he never breaks a promise."

My optics widened in horror. "Y-you're lying."

She laughed. "Oh no, don't tell me you really liked him. That's so _cute_. You, with the Prime? I bet Opti will get a nice laugh out of that."

My frame shook. _Don't listen to her; don't listen to her… _"S-stop lying."

She turned heel and sauntered away, not speaking another word. And me? I didn't move from that spot for quite some time. I was embarrassed, and ashamed. Of course he was with Elita One. Of course everyone's been nice to me just to keep me on their side. Deep down, I knew that all along. So why did it hurt so much? Why did I feel so betrayed? Bumblebee and Optimus Prime's betrayal were the worst. I felt a connection to Bumblebee that I've never felt before—like he was my best friend. And Optimus… I think I was in love with him.

I was stupid. So _slagging_ stupid. When will I ever learn? Things don't come easy for me. I can't rely on others to get what I need. I can depend on only myself, and I won't forget it again.

I was mad… I was beyond mad. I was furious… at myself.

Deadly silent, I charged through the base and right into the common area. I decided to leave Caleb behind because I figured he'd be safer here than where I was going. I headed toward the exit, never once slowing down.

"Get back here!" Ratchet yelled at me as the others ran after me as well. Bumblebee let out a string of desperate beeps and whirrs.

"Ava, what are you doing?" Optimus' shocked and confused voice demanded. I ignored them all, and before they could grab me, I transformed into a jet and took off into the sky.

It's been a long time since I've seen the world, and let me tell you: it felt good. I soared through the blue sky and entered the clouds, flitting through the air. Once I felt like I was a good enough distance away from the Autobot base, I swooped down and transformed on the desert mountain. I sat down on the sand and tilted my helm towards the sun, patiently waiting for the Decepticons to arrive.

It didn't take long.

Before I knew it, I found myself being led through the Nemesis' dark corridors. I was taken to Megatron and forced on the ground in front of him. Even though I was on the ground, I refused to appear weak in front of the Decepticon warlord. I was here on my own choosing. I looked Megatron right in the optics, and never once looked away.

"I see you have heard my offer," Megatron rasped with a slow grin.

I stood up. Other bots moved forward to stop me, but Megatron held up a servo against it. I tapped my pede on the ground and responded, "Yeah, I heard it. I'm here for the release of my Mom, and I want to see my Dad, Ironhide. They said you killed him, but I didn't believe them. There would be no point in seeing to his demise."

"You are correct in that assumption. The vehicons were foolish and got carried away in the battle, but Ironhide was not completely offlined. He is in Knock Out's care now, in the med bay."

I could've wept in relief. I moved to go to the med bay, but Megatron caught my arm before I could. He chuckled darkly. "You seem to forget there is something I want from you in return, sweetspark."

I shuddered and slid my optics back over to Megatron. "I'll give you what you want _after _you let my parents go."

He chuckled again. "Now why would I do that? I know you have the power right now to escape. If I let your parents free, you will simply follow them back to the Autobots. No… do you play me for a fool?"

I eyed him uncertainly. "You already tried to take the AllSpark from me; it didn't work. Just how do you plan on taking it this time, hmm?"

Megatron released me, red optics glinting in some sort of delight. "Soundwave… take our guest to my quarters and prepare her for the merging. I will be there shortly."

Merging? What's that?

Soundwave took a firm hold of me and steered me down the corridor. I was torn. I couldn't leave the ship yet; my parents were still here. I knew Dad was in Knock Out's med bay, but I didn't know where Mom was and I couldn't very well go running around the ship asking random bots. Maybe going directly to Megatron wasn't such a good idea after all. I want my parents free, but when have Decepticons ever been anything but deceivers? Ugh, I don't know what to do.

I was taken to a large room with a big berth in it and a Decepticon insignia displayed across one wall. Soundwave guided me over to the berth and pushed me down on it.

I shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?"

He was silent, and he was strong. His visor reflected nothing as he used his tentacles to strap and hold me down to the berth. The feelers slipped across my limbs, twisting and tightening in a cruel embrace. Truly afraid now, I tried to deploy my gun just to find that it was being restrained by the mech. My helm fell back in disbelief.

"S-Soundwave, what's happening?" I pleaded him softly. I detested all Decepticons, but ever since he was kind to me during my last visit, I hated him a bit less. "What is 'merging'?"

He didn't say a word.

When Megatron entered the room shortly after, I almost screamed. I was shivering uncontrollably, scared to death for what was going to happen. I'd just gotten over my nightmares! Now Megatron was going to try to rip my spark out yet again, and create all new ones!

"It's all right, don't look so frightened," Megatron fussed as he made his way over to me.

"What are you going to do to me?" I demanded in a small voice. "When are you going to release my parents?"

"Right after you give me what I want. Now… open up," he tapped a sharp digit against my spark chamber. When I refused to do as he said, he shook with rage. "Do it now, before I order my soldiers to kill your parents at once!"

My spark chamber flew open at his words. I couldn't say no to that. Megatron just stared at it for a few seconds before leaning over with a creepy smile. What happened next was… well… I'd rather not discuss it in detail. I thought he was going to try and rip my spark out again, but he didn't do anything like that. He opened his own spark chamber and pushed his throbbing, evil red spark against mine.

The pain was more extreme than I could have imagined. I screamed to the high heavens as I felt Megatron's essence wrap around my own, squeezing it and encasing it to the point that I started to forget my own name. It pulled at my being itself, tugging and dragging it out of my systems. It was forcibly intrusive and left me feeling naked… it was no better than rape. My systems went haywire and forced me into a stasis lock.

I woke up screaming. When I saw Soundwave's visor, I growled, leapt off the berth and attacked him. We toppled down onto the floor, me on top as I ferociously laid punch after punch on Soundwave's frame. He remained still the entire time, never even flinching. He deserved it, and a part of me wondered if he knew he did.

I grew even more enraged at his unresponsiveness. "Say something, you evil slagger! What did you let him do to me? What _was _that? How could you?! You fragging Decepticon! Take me to my parents, now!" I was shaking and crying as I screamed at him, and once I was done, I collapsed onto his chassis and curled up into a ball, sobbing some more. I felt so _empty_.

Once I'd quieted down, Soundwave silently got up with me still in his arms. I dug my servos into his plating, not at all caring that I might be hurting him—actually, I was _hoping_ it hurt him—and held on as he carried me down the corridor. I didn't know where he was taking me, and honestly… I didn't really care.

"Soundwave?" Knock Out's muffled voice came. "What are you…" he trailed off. Then he ordered in a serious, deadly tone: "Everyone who isn't Soundwave—out _now_! I will deal with you all later."

I heard mumbles and complaints as bots shuffled out the door.

"Put her on the berth over there," Knock Out instructed, softer this time.

It took both Soundwave and Knock Out together to pry me off his chassis. I fell back against the berth, peering warily up at the mechs. Soundwave looked pretty bad. His visor was cracked and scratched, his plating dented in some places, and there was even energon leaking from his side. I did all that? Hmm. I wonder why he didn't stop me.

While Knock Out was busy sorting some tools, I queried in a whisper, "Where's my Dad?"

They stopped what they were doing to stare at me. Well, I didn't know about Soundwave, but Knock Out did. He cleared his throat. "Now that Megatron has you, he had no need for your parents anymore. They were released shortly after the… merging," he grimaced at the last part.

I sighed in relief. "I-I'm glad… they're okay," I frowned as my spark slowed down dramatically. Ugh, I felt weak. "Hey… what's merging anyways?" my speech slurred at the end.

Knock Out ran a scanner over me that looked familiar to the one Ratchet had. He didn't look happy with the results. "Merging, or spark merging, is whenever two bots who desire each other choose to finalize their relationship by merging their sparks. After the merge, they become bond mates."

Bond mates? I didn't like the sound of that. "Scrap. Why would… Megatron want to merge with me?"

"Open up," Knock Out commanded, and I flinched from the memory of Megatron saying those exact words. But I opened up anyways, and drunk down the energon as I was told. "Megatron wanted to merge with you for obvious reasons. You have the AllSpark within you. With a merge, he is able to pull that energy out of you and into him. Now, it will take quite a few merges to pull the AllSpark completely from you…"

"Hold up!" I sat up rod straight, very awake now. "Megatron has the AllSpark?!"

Knock Out nodded with a grin and made me drink more energon. I reluctantly did so, but only because my body made me.

I narrowed my optics suspiciously. "Wait… why are you helping me?"

He sighed. "We may be Decepticons, but there are some things that even we see as cruel."

I was weakened to the point that I had to lie down. "You surely… weren't thinking that… when you allowed Megatron to… pull at my spark..."

He smiled, and there might've been a hint of sadness in it. "Oh, but that was different. I absolutely love torture. Now goodnight, Megatron's mate…"

And then I was asleep.

_"Ava Wren Roberts."_

_I opened my eyes to find myself back in a familiar dream world, the last place where I heard Alpha Trion. I squinted to see him, but there was nothing but darkness and flashes of light._

_"Alpha Trion?" I called back wearily._

_"You must remain strong, child. Do not allow Megatron to take the AllSpark."_

_I groaned. "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly let him take it."_

_"You went directly to Megatron, instead of letting the Autobots help. You have lost your faith in them… because of what a mere femme said."_

_"It's not just what she said! She reminded me, is all. I knew it all along. So is this the only reason I'm here? So you can scold me?"_

_"No. I am here to tell you that you have to keep faith. Follow your spark, child. Do not allow anyone to break you. No matter what happens, you personally have the strength to get through this."_

_Alpha Trion was right. I had to stay strong and keep faith; I couldn't let Megatron take the AllSpark. _

I woke up and found myself lying on the berth in Megatron's quarters. Soundwave was nowhere to be seen, or Megatron, or anyone else. I leapt off the berth and scrambled for the door.

_/Good. You're awake./_

I jumped at the sound of Megatron's voice in my head. I hadn't allowed a comm between us!

_/What are you doing in my processor?/ _I commed back, frightened.

_/We're bond mates, sweetspark. And I wouldn't recommend you to try to escape. I have my drones guarding every exit, and you are too weak to defeat them./_

Frustrated, I kicked my pede against the wall and let out a short scream. The door was open, so I marched through it and down the corridors. Vehicons and eradicons avoided me at every turn, jumping out of my way as I pushed myself past them. I was going to _murder _Megatron, and there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop me.

"Megatron!" I stormed into the room and charged at him. My guns weren't working, so I'd just have to settle with a physical fight.

Soundwave grabbed me before I could make contact, and I whimpered in protest.

"Release her, Soundwave," Megatron ordered, and Soundwave hesitantly did so. I lurched forward to attack Megatron, but he easily sidestepped me and laughed. "Angry, are you? I don't see why. You are mated to the most powerful mech in the universe."

Wow he's narcissistic.

"Might I say, my liege, that you have made an excellent choice in a bond mate," Starscream bowed extravagantly. "Very appealing to the optics."

Megatron chuckled as he held me at an arm's distance. "She is, isn't she? And she has a good bit of fight in her. She will make a fine Decepticon Mistress, once she is properly trained."

"You'll never have the AllSpark," I hissed with pure malice in my optics. "Don't you know by now? The bad guys never win."

"Soundwave, take her to Knock Out to replace the symbol on her chassis. I can't look at her properly when she's wearing the mark of Autoscum. And while you're at it, go have the medic make you look presentable."

My symbol was replaced with that of a Decepticon's, much to my disgust. I couldn't have stopped him even if I wanted to. I was sorry to say that I was feeling painfully weak after Megatron pulled the energy from my spark. The AllSpark is what brought me back to life, and once Megatron takes it all… he'll take me too. I really do owe everything to the AllSpark. Knock Out quickly fixed up Soundwave's injuries, and he buffed me and corrected my paint until I felt like a walking, Cybertronian Barbie doll.

"You look marvelous!" Knock Out awed over his work. "Almost as fantastic as I do."

I harrumphed. "I've never felt stupider in my life."

He frowned. "That's no way to thank your cosmetologist."

I rolled my optics and hopped off the berth. I rocked back and forth on my pedes and looked up hopefully to Soundwave. "Can we leave now, before he paints me pink?"

Soundwave nodded and took my arm, leading me away. Part of my training to be the Decepticon Mistress involved having my processor rewired to fit the Decepticons' codes and morales. And since Soundwave was obviously unsuited for the job—as he couldn't say a single word—he took me to Starscream and went back to work. I was not amused. Starscream and I had an intense stare down before he groaned in frustration and dragged me off to his quarters.

"I can't believe he is having his Second in Command teach and babysit you," Starscream whined as he made me sit down in a metal chair. He grabbed a data pad and more or less threw it at me. "I should be leading my own faction of warriors! No, I should be _ruling_ the Decepticons, not that pathetic excuse for a warlord."

Suddenly, a smile graced my faceplates as I thought up a plan. I'm about to take matters into my own hands. I gazed as adoringly as I could up at Starscream. "Then why don't you?"

He paced the small space with her servos clasped behind his back, but he paused to consider me. He nodded. "Good question, femme. Why am I not ruling the Decepticons as I should be? I am certainly the better choice!"

"Yes, you are. You are much more handsome and _stable minded_, if you know what I mean," I tapped at my helm with a knowing look.

He grinned. "It is no secret that our dear warlord has been unstable as of recent. The Decepticons would benefit much from a leader such as myself."

I nodded encouragingly. "Of course."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But how should I go about it? I cannot simply overthrow him. He has enough mindless followers as it is. Take Soundwave, for example. He would rip me apart!"

"He wouldn't if you were his rightful lord," I pointed out. "You're right; you can't just overthrow him. He's too powerful and popular for that. You have to offline him—permanently—but you've got to make sure nobody thinks you did it. Once he's gone, the Decepticons will turn to you for guidance, and I'm sure you would be more than happy to accept the offer."

He was intrigued, but still skeptical. "I've been trying to offline Megatron for eons! He's too strong for me to get a good hit on him, and there are other bots watching… all the time!"

I abruptly stood up, catching him off-guard. "Well, now you have me. I'm his _mate_, Starscream. Don't you think I'll be able to get some alone time with him when he's not as strong as he'd normally be? All I need is a weapon of some type that I can hide until the right time. He's disposed of all my weapons, and once Megatron took the energy of the AllSpark from me, I've been a lot weaker. I can't do this without help. We could help each other."

His crimson optics lit up with excitement, and he struggled to hide it. "How can I trust you?"

I smirked. "You can't. But think of it this way: what other choice do you have? You've been waiting for this a long time, and I don't know when you'd get an opportunity like this again. Face it… it's too perfect of a plan to pass up."

He regarded me carefully. "And what happens to you after your mate is offline? How do you benefit from this?"

"I benefit by seeing that slagger get what he deserves. You can do whatever you want with me after he's gone… you will be the new warlord, after all. So do we have a deal?"

Starscream grinned. "Certainly, Mistress."

Well, would you look at that. I've just deceived a Decepticon.


	7. Purple Paint

**Warning**: Major Character Death (though I seriously doubt I'll get any protests on this one)

Stupid title, i know. This chapter may be slow or whatever, but IT'S A CHAPTER, so I'll call that a success, maybe...?

* * *

AVA'S POV

Starscream gave me a small gun that I was able to hide. It wasn't anything fancy, but it would do the job. Even though I knew Megatron deserved it for all the horrible things he's done, I still felt pretty nasty about it. I've never liked killing. When I used to offline drones every day, I didn't ever enjoy watching their life fade away by my own servos. It was just something that had to be done, nothing more and nothing less. I wish you didn't have to kill for the greater good. I wish I didn't have to call myself a murderer. Then again, you don't always get what you wish for.

In the long run, I guess I did what I set out to do. I saved my family and I'll eventually protect the AllSpark by offlining Megatron. I'm hoping that once he's gone, the energy will seep back into me, but if it doesn't then I'll deal with it however I can. After Megatron's gone, I'll leave. Starscream won't be strong enough to stop me, God willing, and in the chaos of their leader's demise I should be able to make an easy escape. Then? I don't know. I can't very well return to the Autobot base; I don't want to be where I'm not wanted. I suppose I'll try to find my family and figure the rest out from there. What more can I do?

"Please say something," I begged Soundwave. He paid no attention to me as he continued his unintelligible work on the monitors. He's hasn't said a thing since I've known him, and now that he's supposed to be watching over me, I'd like to not be bored to death. I wanted to get _some _kind of reaction out of him. He let me play with his pet bird, but it's not like she could talk and have conversations.

I had an idea. With a devious smile, I inched back behind him out of sight and yelled, "Oh my God, yay! The Autobots have come to save me! I've missed you, Optimus Prime!"

Nothing. Unbelievable.

"Don't bother," Knock Out's voice came from the doorway, and I jumped. He sauntered in. "You can't trick or lie to a telepath."

"Telepath?"

"Telepaths sense others' emotions and can read their thoughts. Trust me, _no one _can trick Soundwave. It's a known fact here on the Nemesis."

"He can read my thoughts?!" I placed my servos on both sides of my helm, horrified.

Knock Out shrugged. "You'll get used to it." Doubt it.

I pondered that for a moment. If he could read my thoughts and sense what I was feeling… I bet he felt what I felt when Megatron merged with me. Maybe that's why he let me hit him. Maybe that's why he was kind to me the last time I was here. He knew exactly what I was going through, and he could've been feeling guilty about it. Well, that's an interesting thought. I mean, if he truly felt guilty, he would've stopped Megatron, right?

"Follow me," Knock Out beckoned, and I didn't go at first. "Megatron sent me to take you off of Soundwave's servos so he could get some work done instead of spending that precious time entertaining you. I have some drones in the med bay that need help, so come along with me."

I followed. I didn't have a choice in the matter anyways, so what's the point of arguing?

I ended up in the med bay helping Knock Out repair drones. Oh the irony… I've spent most of my life killing them, and here I am repairing them. The medic was a bad bot, but when he wanted to he could do good work. Soon all the bots there were fixed up, besides the ones that had minor injuries—which he yelled and cussed at to get out of his med bay—and the work was done. Knock Out still had to entertain me though, so he begrudgingly took out some data pads to drill me on the Decepticon code. Ugh, he reminded me of a teacher I knew in high school who tried to teach me a year's worth of stupidity. I argued with him at every turn, not even trying to pretend to agree. Why the heck should I? He got really annoyed with me and eventually dragged me back to Soundwave.

"I am not spending another _nanoklik_ with this femme! She insulted my paintjob and won't listen to a word I say! I don't care what Megatron says, she's yours!" Knock Out marched off, clearly pissed. I'll call that a job well done.

Well, that definitely got his attention. He turned from typing codes on the keypad and stared at me. There was something particularly eerie about his stillness, and not being able to see his face or his optics. I could only see myself reflected in that shiny darkness. It was unnerving, to say the least. I shifted uncomfortably.

"What is it?" I demanded when I couldn't take it anymore.

My optics widened when an angry face emoticon appeared on his screen. Seriously, it was an emoticon. There were two dots for eyes, a squiggly line underneath for an angry mouth, and a circle around all of it. Then, probably thinking he'd gotten his point across, he quickly turned back around and resumed typing. Ah, it looks like Soundwave isn't too happy that he has to babysit me again. Too bad I don't care!

A strange thought occurred to me. "Wait… so you're telling me you speak in _emoticons_?"

OPTIMUS PRIME'S POV

"You better get my daughter the slag off that ship!" Ironhide was yelling at anyone who had the misfortune of being in the area.

"It's okay Raf, keep on going, you're doing good; Ironhide's just really worried about Ava," Bumblebee reassured Raf as he worked tirelessly at picking out the Nemesis' signals from all the other frequencies. Raf was their best hope.

Ironhide wasn't the only one worried. The whole base was frantic. Even Elita One had this strange, guilty look on her faceplates, though no one felt brave enough to approach her about it. The kids were in hysterics over her absence, the Autobots were worried to an unhealthy point, Ironhide was _this close_ to blowing something or somebody up, and her mother wouldn't stop tearing up. All the commotion even managed to alert Wheeljack, who was there as well, currently scheming with Ironhide and Bulkhead on new bombs that could help them clear a path on the Nemesis to get Ava back—without blowing up the whole ship in the process.

And Optimus Prime? He was ready to give anything to get her back… and that's not an exaggeration. If Megatron asked, he would hand over all of their relics they'd collected so far. He'd trade himself if he could. He hated how he couldn't think straight about the situation; he was furious and frantically worried and to the point that he was considering surrendering just to get her back. What's more: the AllSpark never once crossed his processor. It was _Ava_. He didn't know the frightening depth of his feelings until she was gone. Now, he couldn't imagine never seeing her again: her smile, her optics, her frame, her voice, even her human frame. Primes shouldn't let emotions cloud their judgment or course of action, but he didn't care. He couldn't help it, and he didn't want to. He didn't want to calm down—not until she was safe and sound. Optimus _promised _to keep her safe. Well, he promised himself, but it still counts. When he got the chance—and he _would_ get the chance—he would take pleasure in personally eradicating Megatron. It's gone too far this time. It's time to end it, for good.

"Hey, I've got something!" Raf exclaimed, alerting everybody in the room. "I found the signal."

Ratchet immediately went to the ground bridge to type in the coordinates. Optimus gave out orders, instructing that it was too dangerous for them all to go. Instead, they would take only a few. It was quickly decided that Ironhide and Bumblebee would go, along with Optimus of course. The others wanted to go too, but they decided that it was safest if they all didn't go at once. This would work better as an undercover operation.

_Hold on Ava, we're coming, _Optimus thought, and hoped to Primus she would hear.

AVA'S POV

I sat on the berth in Megatron's quarters, toying with the gun Starscream gave me as my spark hammered inside my chassis. I would have to place it directly over Megatron's spark for this to work, and I'd only get one chance. If I wasn't successful the first time… well… I'd rather not think about that. After he drained my energy, I became too weak to take him on without some help. If this gun doesn't work, I'm doomed. He'll steal the rest of the energy from my spark and he'll have obtained the AllSpark. I can't let that happen. I clutched the gun tightly before hiding it underneath me. Yeah, I was scared.

I was surprised Soundwave hadn't caught on, actually. I tried to keep the murderous thoughts from my processor, knowing he was a telepath, but I'm sure I wasn't able to hide all of the plan. If he did see it, he made no mention of it. Unless he told Megatron already. Oh, that would be a nightmare.

It was like a scene from a horror movie. I heard the footsteps: the metal _thud _of silver pedes as they slowed to a stop in front of the door. I peered through the low light, just waiting for those metal doors to slide open and the monster to come through. Would I be able to do this?

My spark skipped a beat as the doors inched open. I kind of wished Soundwave was here, as crazy as that sounds.

"Hello, sweetspark," Megatron greeted me. Even his voice terrified me. I shuddered. "Ready for another round?"

I wasn't mentally prepared yet. I was still petrified; I hadn't expected him to scare me this much. I trembled and tried to think of ways to keep him talking. "I thought I was supposed to be your mate. Why haven't you been nice to me?"

"You don't think I've been treating you well?" Megatron guffawed, incredulous. "Impossible! I have not placed a single scratch on your plating. I have given you my finest energon, my quarters, and even released your parents safely. You should be _thanking_ me, femme."

I glared at the large mech, feeling my courage return. "I will never thank you, Megatron, and I will never be your mate. I don't care what you do. You will _never _break me."

He violently pushed me so I fell back hard against the berth, and he crawled on top of me. Then a nightmare happened. I landed on the gun and it triggered the release, the shot firing against the wall. I froze. I am so dead.

"_What _was that?" he growled in my face. I couldn't say a word. He growled again, flipping me over and yanking out the gun from underneath. He roared. "You thought you could get rid of me that easily?! Who gave you this?! Answer me!"

"Star-Starscream!" I choked out.

He stopped moving, and he went very quiet. Crap. He stared intensely into my optics, and I swore I could see a hint of purple there. Without saying a word, he reached for my spark chamber.

I couldn't help it. I screamed. "N-no! Don't! P-please! I'm s-sorry!"

It was useless. Stifling a sob, I offlined my optics and waited for the inevitable.

It never came.

I heard a grunt, but I didn't dare online my optics until I felt the weight roll off of me. I felt a waterfall of energy rush into my spark. Strength returned to my being, and I was whole again.

"Ava…"

My optics onlined immediately and I sprung off the berth. I'd never get tired of that voice. Optimus dropped the sword and caught me, holding me tight and close to his chassis with an offlined Megatron lying at our pedes. He walked us out the door and into the corridor, so we wouldn't have to look at Megatron anymore.

"Ava I'm so sorry," he breathed in my audial receptor. "I missed you."

I wasn't gone for that long, and he missed me? Well, he missed the _AllSpark_, but I missed him too nevertheless.

I pulled away slightly to give him a thankful smile. I couldn't begin to express how fragging relieved I felt right now. "I really missed you too. But it's not your fault; it's mine. I'm… I'm just so glad you got here and…"

My words trailed off with a… kiss. I could only stand there, shell-shocked as my frame was pushed gently against the wall and a mouth claimed my own. It happened all too fast, and before I could begin to register what the hell he was doing, it stopped. I shuttered my optics, dazed.

He staggered away, looking tremendously guilty. "A-Ava, I do not know why I—"

Just then, Dad and Bumblebee rounded the corner. Dad was okay! Bumblebee's bright blue optics gleamed happily when he caught sight of me. I raced after them with Optimus as he commed for a ground bridge. It was time to get the heck out of there. I'd figure out the… um… other stuff later.

I let out a squeal when something snakelike wrapped around my waist, tugging me backwards. I didn't have to see the mech to know who it was.

"It's Soundwave!" I warned everyone as drones began to fill the space. I wasn't too worried about the drones, but I had to admit that Soundwave was pretty dang strong. Ugh, you have to fight for everything in this life, don't you?

Dad charged forward and blasted at the tentacle wrapped around my waist. The feeler uncoiled with a hiss. Sparks flew, Soundwave reeling back with his damaged tentacle with him. We had to wait before calling for the ground bridge; we had to clear the area out a little first to make sure the cons couldn't follow after us. Optimus took on Soundwave, Dad was busy with Starscream, Bumblebee with Knockout, and I tried to help all of them while keeping the drones away at the same time. Eventually, I was fed up.

_/Dad, Optimus, Bumblebee, get down!/ _I sent out the comm to all three of them. _/Duck!/_

I could tell they were confused, but they did it anyway. The moment they lowered to the ground, I let loose a bundle of energy from my spark, and it exploded across the area. At the same time, a ground bridge opened up which we sailed into. It snapped shut behind us, and we emerged as a mangled heap of living metal on the ground of the Autobot base.

There were whoops and cheers upon our arrival. We detangled ourselves from each other and I jubilantly greeted the Autobots, the kids, Mom, and Caleb. When I learned that Raf was the one who found the Nemesis' signal, I gave him a huge hug—which he sheepishly returned—and a grateful kiss on the top of his head. But then I saw Elita One, and I was reminded of the falsity of their actions. They were glad to get the AllSpark back in one piece. That's all it was. Why can't I get that through my thick head?

As soon as they were done clamoring over me, which I remained completely silent during, I ran off to my quarters. I was tired of all the lies and deception; their false words made me feel worse. I just wanted to be alone.

Not much time had passed when I heard a knock at the door. I expected it to come from a number of people/bots. It could've been Dad, Mom, Optimus, Bumblebee… almost anyone.

What I wasn't expecting in a million years was: "It's Elita One. Will you let me in?"

I hesitated, but then sighed. What do I have to lose? I allowed the doors to slide open and lock immediately behind her. She stared at me for a few moments, her light blue optics flicking this way and that, nearly giving off the expression of timidity. I didn't buy it.

"What do you want, Elita One?" I grumbled under my breath, and braced myself. Here it comes.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

She briefly glared at me, softening it soon after. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said to you. I… I'm sorry about the way I treated you. I honestly didn't mean for it to affect you so much. I didn't think you'd actually believe it. I just wanted to scare you away."

"From what?" I asked warily.

"From Optimus. From the Autobots. Guh… do I have to spell it out for you?" I folded my arms across my chassis sternly. She rolled her optics impatiently. "I'm jealous of you, okay? Optimus really likes you… I've been trying forever to get him to look at me, to talk to me, but all he ever seems to want to talk about is you. Everyone likes you. No one likes me. It's obvious, really. I have to openly flirt and push at them to get them to notice me at all, while it comes naturally to you. They _adore _you for the femme you are, trust me. All they ever talk about is you, you, you. You have your family here who loves you, Ava. Do you want to know the last time I saw _my _Creator? It was back on Cybertron; I watched a Decepticon rip out her spark before my very optics, just because she refused to give me up to the cons. That was the day I decided to be an Autobot. You truly don't know how lucky you are."

I regarded her curiously, cautiously. "I've never had someone call me lucky before. And I'm sorry about your Creator… I didn't know. You really think the bots like me for who I am? And you really said all those things because you were jealous?"

She shrugged. Then, not looking at me, "I didn't want it to go so far as to drive you away from the base. I thought it was clear how much everyone liked you, even Optimus. I just wanted to scare you a little, so maybe you'd back off from Optimus and the others. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to you with Megatron, but I know it couldn't have been good," she eyed the Decepticon symbol on my chassis with disdain.

I stood up and met her gaze levelly. "Thanks for apologizing, but it wasn't your fault that I left base. I've been dealing with some personal issues," I swallowed hard. "Um… you didn't have to be jealous. I don't exactly like the color pink myself, but I still think you're pretty, and I guess it suits you well. And when you're acting like who you are now, I think you're kind of cool."

She gave me a strange smile and opened her mouth to say something more, but a knock and Optimus' voice cut in from the other side: "Ava, what are you doing in there? You seemed upset. Does it have to do with… uh… what I did, or is this about what happened on the Nemesis? Please talk to me."

Elita One smirked, seeing my uncertainty, and sent me a private comm. _/I've been thinking about Opti, and though I am envious that he likes you, I think you two fit well together. He likes you a lot. Besides, it's not as if Optimus and I had anything in common, other than wanting Megatron's helm on a silver platter. I've just always admired him and, well, he's very attractive. So go talk to him./_

My jaw dropped open. I rubbed my helm and got out: "I'll be out in a minute," I switched my attention back to Elita One, and held out a servo. It hung between us, a silent if somewhat hopeful question hanging in the air. _/Truce?/_

It took her a moment, but she finally accepted it and we shook on it. Who would've thought?

Optimus was surprised and wary when he saw Elita One leave my quarters, but I reassured him that it was all right and quickly went over what happened… leaving off the parts concerning him, of course. He was glad we made up, although he warned me to be on my guard. Apparently, Elita One had a reputation. Bots simply didn't like her. However, I was determined to become the bot that did. She wasn't a bad femme; I could see it.

After we finished talking about that, it got awkward fast. I took a sudden fascination with examining my servos, while Optimus became captivated with counting the number of lines on the floor. All I could think was: _Why did he kiss me? _Was it an accident? Can people—um, bots—kiss on accident?

I decided to stick to my guns and avoid the question altogether. "So, obviously, the AllSpark's okay. Megatron did manage to extract some of it during the merge, but after you—"

"Merge?" he interrupted me. His optics narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Now that I knew what a spark merge was and what it entailed, I felt uncomfortable talking about it. I shouldn't have mentioned the merge. Stupid, as always. "Well. You know. A spark merge, where two sparks connect? When he did that, he was able to pull the energy out of me. I got it back when you killed him though, so it's fine now."

"Megatron mated with you," he stated, mostly to himself. Then his servos clenched and he grounded out through his clenched denta, "I'm—"

"Sorry?" I guessed. He dropped his red shoulders, looking defeated in a way that just screamed for me to do something about it. So, I moved forward and embraced him warmly. He was tall and strong and built, but that didn't mean he wasn't fit for hugging. He stilled. I laid the palm of my servo on his warm plating and inspected the scratches and tiny dents with. "You could use a good buffering session," I winced yet laughed softly. "I sounded like Knock Out. That can't be good."

_/Alert: Laserbeak has snuck onto the base!/ _Arcee's comm came out of nowhere. By Optimus' sudden alertness, I knew he heard it too. She probably sent it out around the whole base.

"Who's Laserbeak?" I queried as we hurried out of my quarters and to where the commotion was.

Then I found out who Laserbeak was. It was Soundwave's pet: the little metal bird. It was sticking close to the ceiling right now, desperately flying around and trying to avoid Autobot gunfire. It probably got here when we all returned to base. Actually, I bet Soundwave read my thoughts and ducked when I told everyone else too; he must've been able to release her while everyone else was down.

"Hey, stop it!" I yelled at them. "You're going to hurt her!"

Laserbeak must have caught sight of me, because she flew from the ceiling and directly into my waiting arms. A warm, protective feeling bloomed inside of me that could only grow stronger. I held her close to me and glared down anyone who dared take a step forward.

Bumblebee approached me carefully. "Ava, that's Laserbeak. She's wired to Soundwave; he could be watching this right now, if our frequency rattler isn't working properly. It's a spy craft—not a real, animate creature."

"You need to release Laserbeak so we can disable her," Optimus attempted to persuade me.

Dad just sent me one of his 'looks'. "Release that symbiote right now!"

"No! I won't let you hurt her."

Arcee was highly frustrated, and she showed it. "This is insane, Ava. Just let it go."

Suddenly, Elita One walked up and snatched the creature right from my servos. I growled as it was taken away, swiftly handed to Ratchet before I could get back to her. Bumblebee dragged me away with the kids when they began discussing what to do with it. They thought they could pull information about the cons from Laserbeak, but I doubted it. They should let her go and fly back to Soundwave… well, without disclosing the location of me or the Autobot base. Okay, yeah, maybe we do have a problem.

It was settled on that they'd keep Laserbeak safely stowed away in a room by herself for the time being. I didn't like it, but it was the smartest option. Soundwave would be adamantly searching for her; we all knew that. The signals and frequencies around the base were scrambled, making the determination of our location near impossible, so as long as Laserbeak stayed within the base we wouldn't have any problems. They had more important things to think about and discuss. For example: how would the Decepticons survive without Megatron? Did this mean the end of the war? Would Starscream be able to pick up the pieces and replace him? So many questions.

Mom was determined to celebrate my homecoming, so she and Aunt June cooked a nice dinner for all us humans. It was good, but I played with my food more than I actually ate it. I licked the bread crumbs off the tips of my fingers and pondered. My situation now is exactly like the situation I had when I was living with my parents in that warehouse. I'm hiding while everyone else fights for me. And when I left the warehouse, all I did was run. I ran because, in my mind, there was no other choice. I knew Decepticons were after me, yet I never knew how many or even what Megatron looked like. Now I know. The drones' numbers are decreasing every day, there aren't as many Decepticon officers as I thought, and Megatron is dead. I have the full power of the AllSpark within me, and I know how to use it. I'm not hiding anymore; I refuse to run from anybody. I heard Dad say once that the AllSpark of anything, that it could achieve the impossible. Now it's time to see if he spoke the truth.

I'm going to see this war end and my planet safe, and I'm going to help in that process. I'll see to it personally that this war ends once and for all.

When I lied down for recharge that night, I found I couldn't calm myself down enough. My processor was still racing, my spark still beating to that same frenzied rhythm. Eventually I gave up on trying to myself fall asleep, and instead left my quarters. I was going to go see Laserbeak and check up on her when I saw Optimus Prime heading towards the main area. Interested, I abandoned my previous mission and constructed a new one.

I snuck into the area and eyed where he was standing in front of the monitors. Like Soundwave's work, I couldn't read a word of it, although it didn't stop me from trying. When my optics began to burn, I moved forward more.

"Optimus?" I half-whispered.

He turned around quickly, optics refocusing on my form. He reached back and held himself steady on the counter behind him, and he gave me a small smile. "Can't sleep either?"

I shook my helm. His frame stood tall in the darkness, the red and blue paint shining brightly even now. "Are you busy?"

He glanced at the monitor, then back at me, seeming to catch my gist. "No… would you like to talk?"

I crept closer until I was able to hold his servo. I liked holding it. "Sure."

"W-what do you want to t-talk about?"

Did he just stutter? I smirked up at him incredulously. "To be honest, I kind of wanted to talk about you. I'm sick and tired of me," and it wasn't only because of Elita One's words. "So… what about you? Tell me about _you_?" His optics grew large and he shrugged wordlessly. I rolled my optics. "Um… what's your favorite color?"

"Red," he retorted.

I fired off more questions like that, refusing to let the attention crawl back to me. I know a little about him; I know his favorite music and Earth places and things like that. But I didn't really know anything personal. I've always wondered about the 'Prime' thing. Was he born that way, or was the title given to him later on?

He was more relaxed at this point, and started to tell me about his life on Cybertron. He started out as a dock worker during the Golden Age of Cybertron. Later, his life was more scholarly and political than warlike. I was very interested in their planet Cybertron as well, especially during the Golden Age. I've heard all of Dad's stories, and I've dreamed of the place before. It must have been beautiful.

"Wait, your name was Orion Pax?" I repeated curiously. "I like that name. Why did you change it?"

"I couldn't remain Orion when I became Prime. It doesn't work that way."

I folded my arms across my chassis stubbornly. "Well, it should. You shouldn't have had to change who you were to become Prime. Isn't who you were the reason you were chosen as Prime in the first place?"

He smiled. "Some would say. However, I didn't completely change who I was. I still have the same ideals and hopes that I did when I was Orion Pax. But this war and the Autobots needed more than Orion Pax; it's why I changed to Optimus Prime. Think about how you had to change when you realized you had the AllSpark. You couldn't be all who you wanted be, but nothing will change the person you are inside," he noticed the slightly perplexed look on my face. "It's alright if you don't understand."

I sunk onto the floor beside the couch. "No, I understand. I just don't think it's fair."

He maneuvered down beside me. "War isn't fair, Ava. It's late… you should get some recharge."

I sighed heavily and nudged him accusingly. "You should too. I just want to check up on Laserbeak first."

"I'm coming with you," he declared, and helped me to my pedes.

I didn't argue. When he set his mind on something, there wasn't a lot you could do about it otherwise.

I remembered something as we headed over to Laserbeak. "Hey, I wanted to tell you that I don't think I'll be able to hide anymore. I want to fight with you guys, and actually _do something productive _for once. Is that okay?"

He was silent for a few moments. Then, "I don't like it, but I agree with you. If we continue hiding you, it will simply make you a more desirable object to obtain. And you are strong… I saw what you did on the Nemesis. We could use your help."

I relaxed from the fact that I no longer had to stay put in the base. It made me feel less like a prisoner. Now, I can finally do something useful… as long I don't screw it up.

Together, we checked on Laserbeak. She was already in recharge though, so I set down a bit of energon for her to consume at night or in the morning when she woke up. So then we find ourselves standing outside my quarters, glancing at each other nervously. I knew we were both thinking about the kiss. I've thought about it, and I'm going to say that it was just a 'spur of the moment' thing. He didn't mean it; it was an accident. I'm glad that he pulled away fast… I liked him a lot, maybe even loved him, and I would've kissed him back if he wasn't fast like that. But even though it wasn't real, he gave me my first kiss, and I won't forget it. I wouldn't have wanted it taken by anybody else.

"You need to talk to Ratchet about changing back that symbol on your chassis," Optimus pointed out quietly. "It's not right."

I looked down and touched the tip of my digit to the flawless insignia, thanks to Knock Out. I traced it, feeling rather indifferent about it. "It's just some purple paint." His optics darted up to meet mine, alarmed. I smiled sleepily and turned to retreat to my quarters. "Goodnight, Orion."


End file.
